


The Unknown Princess

by FlameWolf



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Angst, Gen, No Sex, Plague, Some semi-dark themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-01-16 04:30:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12335520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameWolf/pseuds/FlameWolf
Summary: A strange illness is sweeping over both Ponyville and Canterlot.  With both Princesses sick, its up to Twilight and her friends to figure out what's going on and stop it.  Will they be successful or will outside help intervene?





	1. The Odd Illness

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the ponies from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I also do not own the O.C. Princess Pi but I have permission to use her. This is just for fun and no profit will be made from this.
> 
> Author’s Note: This is a fic about my fiance’s MLP O.C. He wanted me to write it so, here we go. Please excuse any oddness.

Purple eyes watched from the balcony as the multi-colored denizens staggered around in the streets of Ponyville.  Bright blotches stained their furred skin, their heads hanging from the illness ravaging their bodies.  It had all started about a week ago, the first coming in to see Nurse Redheart with a complaint of symptoms of a cold.  Then the spots had come, followed quickly by the loss of any ability to use magic or fly.  Pegasus ponies were now grounded, unicorn teachers were unable to perform their lessons.  And, the worst part was, now Princess Luna was effected.

Heaving a sigh, Twilight Sparkle turned her back on the disturbing scene to head back inside.  The sound of hooves clopping on the tile echoed off the high walls as she made her way to the meeting room, her ears tipping back from the worry welling within her.  If they were attacked now, it would be all too easy to overwhelm them.  Especially with Celestia distracted with caring for her sister.  It was their highest priority to figure out what was happening and take care of it.

The skitter of claws alerted her to the fact that Spike had joined her and she turned her head to give her small companion a wane smile.  Since the day he had hatched, the purple dragon had been like a son to her; even more so lately.  She hated the fear in his wide, green eyes as they looked up at her with a painful hope.  So far, she and her friends had been able to handle everything thrown at them.  It was fair that he would expect the same to happen this time.  The only problem was, she had never seen anything like this.  She had no idea if they would be able to do anything to stop it this time.

Sighing, the young alicorn closed her eyes as she turned to face the closed, ornate, double doors that led to the room her friends waited in.  Allowing her magic to flow through her, she smiled slightly at the familiar, warm feeling.  Opening her eyes once more, she forced the energy into her horn like she has millions of times before.  With a faint glow, the entry swings open with a quiet creak.  The cacophony that greets her is almost enough to blow her away.  It sounded like more than twenty ponies were in there when there were only six.  “Guys!” she called in a vain effort to gain their attention over the deafening din.

Unsurprised when it didn’t work, she used her magic to amplify her voice.  “ **_Hey!_ ** ” echoed her voice through the rounded room, effectively bringing a ringing silence with it.  Clearing her throat, Twilight felt her cheeks heat while her wings fluttered nervously when all eyes landed on her.

“Thank you.  Now then... arguing will get us nowhere.  We need plans.  Rainbow Dash, go fly to Canterlot to talk to Celestia.  Maybe she’s found something,” she began, falling into the role of giving orders with an ease that slightly disturbed her.

“Don’t you think that if she had news, she would have sent it by now?” the blue pegasus sighed, blowing her rainbow colored bangs out of her face irritably.

“Yeah, no offence Twi but...  She ain’t exactly been shy ‘bout usin’ Spike before,” added a southern accented voice, bringing her gaze to the amber colored pony to the right of her chair.

“I know but.. What if she just can’t right now?  You know how sick Princess Luna is.  She could be too worried to even think about writing a letter right now,” the Princess pointed out, only getting skeptical glances from her friends.

“Fine.  If it’ll make ya happy.  I just think we could use our time better figuring out what to do rather than ask for ideas,” Dash complained, rolling her pink eyes before spreading her wings and taking off in a blur; leaving behind a rainbow in her wake.  This left her with the frightened gazes of her five closest friends and her dear student.

Cutting through the sky, Rainbow closed her eyes as she relished the feeling of the wind beating against her furred sides.  It helped anchor her, driving from her mind the near overwhelming fear.  Watching all the ponies slowly getting those spots had disturbed her.  Not to mention the fact that she hadn’t been feeling all that great lately.  Her wings had been a bit achey, something she had heard was one of the beginning symptoms.  Pushing it from her mind, she rolled in the air as she approached the looming palace.

There was no use in thinking about such things now.  Besides, it could very well be just a leftover injury from her days in flight school.  There was nothing to worry about.  She was Rainbow Dash, one of the greatest ponies in Equestria.  She didn’t get sick.  In fact, she did a triple loop before landing to show just how well she felt.  Her enthusiasm only waned when she saw the guards staggering in their spots, different colored dots covering both their bodies.  Hunching slightly, the self proclaimed ‘Blue Blur’ began to make her way to the throne room.

Pawing at the round table while Applejack and Rarity fought about whose idea was more practical, Fluttershy did her best to keep her coughing as well hidden as possible.  Given the fact that no one had noticed yet, it was working well.  Still, she just wished her friends would get on with things.  She hadn’t felt well for a long time now and just wanted to rest.  Besides, this room was far too hot anyway.  It would do all of them some good to open the windows to get some air.  Unfortunately, no one would be able to hear her over to arguing.  It would be easier to just do it herself.  Getting out of her throne with a sigh, she caught sight of something on her hoof that made her heart stop in her chest.

There, on the inside facing side of her left front hoof, was tiny, blue dot.  Rubbing it briefly on the floor in the vain hope it was some chalk, the yellow pegasus felt her dread deepen when she saw no effect whatsoever.  Shifting green, fear-filled eyes; she saw no one had taken notice of her predicament.  Filled with relief, she simply sat back down; hiding her hoof under the unblemished right one.  There was really no reason to worry the others.  Not when there was so much to do.  Besides, it was probably just some blueberry juice and was best not to mention.  So, she ignored the voice inside her and simply watched her friends.

“Darling, I just don’t see how evacuating Ponyville could help anyone.  Who’s to say we won’t spread it or that we aren’t the only ones affected.  Its best we stay here and send out a small party for help,” Rarity pointed out, purple, curly tail swishing in annoyance at the farm pony’s stubbornness.  It certainly didn’t help that she had this terrible itch in her throat and that poor Sweetiebelle seemed to have little to no energy these days.

“What about the ones that aren’t sick?  Ya jest sayin’ we sit by and wait til they’re jest as bad off as th’rest?!” came a protest that had no real good answer.

“We let them leave, they could still be carriers.  They could take the disease with them.  Are you sure you want to take the chance of infecting Appleloosa?” asked another voice that drew that attention of everyone.

Suddenly finding herself the center of attention, Starlight Glimmer felt her lavender cheeks flush as she scuffed her hoof shyly.  “Germs can work like that.  And, s-since we don’t know how this thing travels, m-maybe we should all stay here?” pointed out her small voice, a shaky smile on her muzzle while the others considered what she had said.

“I agree with both Rarity and Starlight.  We can’t take the chance of infecting others with this.  Not until we learn more about it and if we can stop it,” Twilight sighed, feeling guilt stab her at the stricken expression that crossed Applejack’s freckled face.

Ears tipping backward, the amber colored pony had to admit the others were right.  Yet, this knowledge still pained her.  She had wanted to at least get her family out before they started exhibiting symptoms.  Yet, if she was honest with herself, they already were.  Applebloom and Mac had seemed a bit listless.  Even Granny seemed to have less pep than she used to.  “I guess so... but what now?  Can we do anything fer th’sick?” she whispered, not encouraged when she only heard silence in response.

“Nothing we try helps.  Not even Zecora has any remedies,” Twilight sighed, feeling more defeated than ever as she scuffed her hooves in annoyance.

Suddenly, Dash came crashing in through a stained glass window; multi-colored glass raining down in her wake as she landed on the magical table.  The map that was currently displaying Equestria flickered off while the other ponies ran to the fallen pegasus’ side.  “What happened?” the newly dubbed Princess of Friendship asked, eyes scanning her friend’s blue furred body for cuts.  She was only set slightly at ease when she saw nothing.

“P-Princess Celestia... ill.  Entire castle... sick,” gasped out of the exhausted pony, pink eyes wild as she looked at the others gathered around her.

Chaos soon ensued, the six uninjured ponies all talking at once.  Pinkie was by far being the loudest, screaming things that were unintelligible due to the noise.  Only Twilight was trying to maintain a semblance of calm, doing her best to get the attention of the others.  It was only when she magically amplified her voice again that she had any success.  “Girls!” echoed her voice through the room, effectively stopping the others in their tracks.  Turning back to Rainbow, the newly crowned Princess fluttered her wings nervously.

“Did you talk to Princess Celestia?  Does she have any advice?” the purple alicorn blurted, doing her best to keep the panic blooming in her own breast at bay.

Getting to her hooves and hopping off the table, Dash dusted herself off with her wings before heaving a sigh.  “Well, I did talk to her...  It wasn’t good news...  We’re basically on our own on this one.  Unless Discord knows something,” came a declaration no one really wanted to hear.  Immediately, all eyes went to Fluttershy; making the painfully shy, yellow pegasus squeak as she sank down in her throne.

“Uh...  I guess we could ask him...,” she murmured, barely loud enough to hear.

As if her words had summoned him, the infamous troublemaker appeared in a puff of purple, sparkly smoke.  Different sized eyes glittered down at them from a gray furred head that vaguely resembled that of a donkey, bushy brows waggling as his long body bent for him to bow.  “Well, hello my dear friends,” cooed his gruff mid-tone, his eagle claw brushing off the brown fur of his body.  Then he was disappearing, reappearing over Fluttershy’s right shoulder to press his cheek against hers.

“And just why were you seeking me out on this fine day?” sigh an inquiry while he ruffled Flutter’s pink mane with his lion’s paw.  Disappearing once more, he popped into existence behind Twilight; floating in a relaxed position while he smirked.

“Could it have anything to do with this illness that seems to be ravaging Ponyville?  Could the saviors of Equestria possibly need  _ my _ help?” purred out of the prankster, his red scaled tail wagging as he allowed his eagle claw to play with the violet monarch’s tail.

Whirling to face the former villain, Twilight called upon all the patience she possessed so she wouldn’t blow up at him.  “Please, if you can help us; then do it.  If you can’t, then stay out of the way,” she pleaded.  She was a bit surprised when the embodiment of chaos looked abashed.

“I would but... I promised...  Sorry,” murmured an apology before he was disappearing once more, leaving the ponies a bit confused.

“The only thing left to do is to explore the Everfree Forest.  If we find something strange, maybe Zecora will be able to make a cure with it,” Twilight sighed, feeling the very start of a headache.

Soon Starlight was helping to coordinate the others, sending them off in pairs in different directions.  Pinkie would be with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash would be with Applejack, Twilight would be with Rarity and she would be with Spike.  So, when they reached the edge of Everfree, the pairs branched off in their respective directions.  They would just have to hope they found something of use or didn’t get horribly lost.

Hunching slightly, Flutter led the way through the looming trees; heading toward a meadow she knew of.  There was always something blooming there.  It was a good possibility they would find something.  Focusing on the song Pinkie was humming as she bounced, the petrified pegasus used the tune to anchor herself.  She couldn’t do much good if she allowed herself to freeze up.  Besides, the pink pony was right here to help if she should need it and she did have a way with animals.  If they ran into any timber wolves, they should be fine; at least in theory.

Unbeknownst to the small group, there was a pair of green eye watching everything in a small, clear orb.  Sighing, the figure fluttered their wings before glancing down at the two beside them.  “Think we should help them?” asked a reluctant sounding voice.  Blue and red eyes simply met the green ones overhead, a brief moment of silence passing between the trio.

“We could give them one chance Princess.  They seem nice,” responded the voice belonging to the blue eyes.

“Ha, you always want to make friends.  We saw how they reacted when the yellow one became a bat pony.  Who’s to say they won’t act the same toward us,” protested the voice belonging to the red eyes.

“That’s precisely why I want you to be the one to send out a representative.  A test if you will.  If they fail this test, we will leave them to their fate,” declared the voice belonging to the green eyes, the floating orbs narrowing when the small figure protested.

“B-but majesty....,” they began, trailing off when they saw the stern light in those almost hypnotic eyes.

“A-alright but... I want them to be able to leave at the first sign of trouble.  I don’t want to lose anyone to these so called heroes,” sighed the red eyed silhouette, ears tipping back as they wandered off toward the exit.

“Neither do I but... maybe its time we try to trust again.  I tire of living by ourselves, of being too scared of pony society...,” sighed the one in charge, worried eyes watching the ponies on the orb.

“I want to make friends too.  I just hope they are more accepting than they seem,” they continued, not sounding too hopeful.

Grimacing at the mud under her white hooves, Rarity regretted ever agreeing to come out here.  The only thing that kep her searching was Sweetiebelle.  The poor dear was only getting worse.  It would be a matter of time before the spots showed up.  She had to find something to help!  Anything!  Spotting a polka dot colored trio of leaves growing close to the ground, she rushed forward to pull them up with her magic; running to show her discovery to Twilight.  She felt her heart drop when the alicorn backed away from her in horror.  “Rarity, that’s Itchy Sticky!” she protested, flinching when the unicorn flung the plant away.

“Oh, I’m hopeless at this,” the seamstress bemoaned, ears flattening while she felt genuine tears well up in her blue eyes.

Trotting over to her friend’s side, Twilight wrapped a wing around her to offer comfort.  “At least you’re trying.  We can’t give up now,” she whispered, smiling when the fashion pony sniffled, nodded and went back to the search.  Brushing aside a bush in front of her, the Princess did the same; letting out a surprised noise at what she found.  There, laying in a sleeping ball, was what looked to be a bat pony colt.


	2. Flitterfang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Things really get interesting from here.

It was small, a navy blue fur coating its tiny body.  A white shock of a mane sprouted from its head and teeny bat wings were pressed tightly against its ribs.  Yawning, it revealed two, tiny fangs before a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened to fix on the alicorn looming over it.  Letting out a small squeak of terror, it scampered under a near-by buch and promptly got stuck; letting out more distressed squeals and squeaks while struggling.  “Oh, hey... no.  Shhhh, we’re not going to hurt you,” whispered a soothing voice while lavender magic surrounded the frightened youngling.

Smiling gently, Twilight lifted the young pony; turning the shivering foal until it was facing her.  Now that it was closer, she could see it was a little boy and he was frightened out of his mind.  Making strange clicking noises, his slitted eyes looked around with a fair measure of confusion.  “My name is Twilight.  Can you understand me?” the purple Princess whispered, not surprised when she got a blank stare.

“Great.  And I was hoping to avoid having to use this until we found something we could use,” sighed out of her, Rarity moving up beside her to take a look at the little one.

Pointing her horn to the sky, she closed her purple eyes as she felt the warmth of her magic flow into her horn.  With a simple thought, she was firing a sparkling shot into the air; opening her eyes in time to see it explode into a flurry of bright color.  It was the signal to summon the others.  Something that was to be used at the end of the expedition, not at the very beginning.  Still, she really didn’t see much choice.  Only Fluttershy would have a chance of understanding this little one and they needed to find out if he was lost.

Looking down at the colt encased in her magic, she smiled to see his wide eyes focused on the light show.  Excited chirrs left him as he clapped his small hooves together, bat wings fluttering slightly.  At least he wasn’t scared anymore.  Still, she couldn’t take the chance of him running off.  If he was lost, they needed to find his parents or at least where he had come from.  At his age, it was unlikely he would survive alone in the depths of Everfree.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the others to show up; Pinkie and Fluttershy bringing up the rear of the party.  “What’s up Twilight?  We barely got started?” came a complaint from Rainbow Dash, her arms crossed while she fluttered in place.

“Yeah, none of us have had time t’find anythin’ yet,” Applejack grumbled, looking around the area for any sign of danger.

It was Fluttershy who noticed first, running forward to scoop the foundling into her arms.  “Oooh a baby bat pony.  Where in Equestria did you come from little guy?” she asked.  While surprised at first, the small foal began to click and squeal in response.  To no one’s surprise, the yellow pegasus seemed to understand what was said perfectly.

“His name is Flitterfang.  He has no idea how he got here but he’d very much like to go home,” the shy pony explained to her friends, keeping the little hybrid held tight against her.

This made everyone stare at eachother in a stunned silence.  Until today, none of them had even known bat ponies existed beyond what had happened to Fluttershy.  Maybe it would be best to ask Zecora.  The zebra witch doctor seemed to be the authority on obscure things in general.  She might be able to tell them where Flitterfang had come from.  Getting such a young colt back home safely was their highest priority.  Especially with the sickness spreading throughout Ponyville and Canterlot.  If he got exposed, Celestia knew what would happen to him.  One so young had never been infected.

After a quick meeting, it was decided to take him to see the zebra.  Worst come to worst, she wouldn’t be able to help and they wouldn’t be any worse off than before.  Pinkie, of course, knocked on the door; being the only one of them who wasn’t a bit afraid of the odd pony.  With a loud creak, the wooden door swung open to reveal her silhouette standing just inside.  “Little ponies strong and meek, come inside for the answers you seek,” came the prose she was famous for at this point.

Leading the way with a bounce, the pink colored baker was the first inside; the others following close behind.  Fluttershy led the rear, holding Flitterfang in one hoof.  As soon as she was inside, the door was shutting and the striped equine before them was turning to give them a warm smile.  “Ah, the seven pony friends who all hold dear.  Just what brings you all the way out here?” she asked, blinking when the pink haired pegasus came forward with the tiny bat pony.

“Ah, a rare specimen you hold in your hand.  His kind certainly doesn’t come from this land,” came a pronouncement they were all well aware of.

“That’s the problem.  We need to figure out how to get him back to his parents,” Twilight sighed, feeling her headache from earlier get slightly worse.  She wasn’t encouraged when the zebra in front of her looked oddly evasive.

“Indeed, I have the knowledge you need.  But I cannot reveal it, no matter the deed,” came an answer none of them had expected.

“B-but, he’s so young to be separated from his family.  Isn’t there a small hint you could give us?” Fluttershy protested, tears standing in her jade green eyes.  Zecora sadly shook her head, ears flattening slightly.

Nodding, the defeated group simply turned and left.  With no way to get the little one back to his family, it was up to them to care for him.  Since he had already taken a shine to Fluttershy, it made sense that she would be his caretaker.  It also helped that she was the only one who could understand him.  Not to mention her affinity for the fillies.  The soft spoken representation of kindness really was the best person for the job.  Still, Twilight couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Something about the way the colt had appeared out of nowhere made her fur stand on end.  It all seemed a bit suspicious.  Where had he come from?  Could he be an enemy in a clever disguise?  Yet, just looking at him, it was hard to see him as anything but the child that he was.  If he had been living in Ponyville, he’d just be starting pre-school.  She’d just have to keep an eye on things but, until he showed otherwise, she highly doubted he was a threat.  So, with a feeling of defeat, she made her way back to her ‘castle’; wishing it was her old library again.

Ever since it had transformed, it hadn’t felt the same.  It wasn’t as homey as it used to be and she easily got lost in its seemingly endless halls.  Most of all, she missed a lot of her old books.  So many irreplaceable volumes had been destroyed.  She still got depressed thinking about it.  Sure, she’d managed to replace most of her collection but it wasn’t the same.  Especially given the fact may of the missing ones were rare and out of print.  They might have very well held the answers they all sought.  Still, there was no mourning over it now.

Pressing her wings against her sides while the crystal-like doors swung open, she smiled down at her smaller, purple companion; Starlight close behind her.  Even if this place was huge, at least she wasn’t alone.  The unicorn behind her had nowhere else to go and was a good roommate.  In all honesty, it felt good to have someone her own age to talk to.  While Spike was all well and good, he just wasn’t the same as having another girl.  Someone who had been through a lot in her life and had come through it better than before, like her and the rest of her friends.

Wise eyes watched the doors close from the crystal.  As much as the figure questioned their decision, there was no going back now.  What was done was done.  Sighing, a pair of green eyes met a pair of blue.  “I hope we’re making the right decision.  I just can’t bear to watch it all over again.  It took so long for Equestria to recover from the last time,” whispered a worried voice, a soft whimper coming in response.

“I just wish I could speak with Celestia.  At least we know we can trust her.  Still, at least this ‘Twilight Sparkle’ is her student.  That counts for a lot.  Maybe... maybe Ponyville can still surprise me,” the voice continued, the slight sound of rustling insect wings bouncing off the stone walls.

After her experience as a bat pony, Fluttershy had no problem guessing what food Flitterfang would want.  Offering a variety of fruit, she found out he loved apples, mangoes and oranges.  Like she had done when she was briefly one of his species, he used his tiny, sharp fangs to penetrate the fruit; sucking out the juice to nourish himself.  Being a growing colt, he could got through a surprising amount and she was beginning to wonder if it would be better just to go to the market to get some juice.  Providing there was anypony there that felt well enough to run it that was.

Kneeling so her charge could hop on her back, she was a bit shocked when Discord formed out of the air in front of her.  Red pupils met green eyes, a vaguely surprised expression on his oddly shaped face.  “Ah, Fluttershy.  I had come to pay you a visit but I see you already have company.  Room for one more,” cooed out of him, his gaze focusing on the wide eyed youngling nestled between her wings.

“Sure!  I’m always happy to see you.  This is Flitterfang.  He and I were going to make a trip for some juice, wanna come?” came an explanation that only made him look more curious.

Nodding, the draconequus opened the door for her; mismatched wings twitching while he watched them leave.  Bushy brows furrowed, he followed; serpent-like tail swishing.  Already, questions were buzzing in his brain.  Questions that would likely remain unanswered for now.  All he could do was watch things play out, as much as he wanted to help.  All the ponies were dear friends but the yellow pegasus making her way down the cobblestone road held a special place in his heart.  She might be the only living thing he had ever cared for this much.

As they made their way into town, they saw the roads were mostly deserted.  The citizens that  _ were _ wandering around were covered in spots and looked sickly.  Dispirited eyes met theirs before the ponies shuffled on, a bit like harmless zombies.  Making sure Fluttershy stayed close, Discord kept a weary eye on the infected denizens.  That was when he noticed the smell.  The oddly sweet scent that came with this illness and only he seemed to be able to smell.  Eyes travelling to the pegasus in his arms, he sucked in a breath when he saw the spot on her hoof.

Even the chittering of the colt on his head faded into the background, his heart cramping into a painful ball inside his furred chest.  She had caught it.  Tightening his grip on her ever so slightly, he felt reality crawl to a slow around him while he continued to move forward.  While not deadly, this disease exacted a terrible toll on its victims.  The unfortunate beings would get more and more lethargic, eventually losing the will to even leave the house.  In the end, it was the self neglect that did them in more than anything else.  Thinking about that happening to his literal ray of sunshine made him truly feel sick.

Setting her down once they got to the store, he found his gaze travelling to the bat pony as he fluttered his way back onto the pegasus.  Red eyes met his and a silent message passed between the two.  As much as it would hurt him, he must not intervene.  This was his friends’ test.  Only if they failed it could he step in.  Still, it would be the hardest thing he had to do.  Conjuring some bits to pay the clerk, he treated Fluttershy to several gallons of juice meant for the child on her back.  On their way back, he silently vowed to at least be by her side.  At most, he could help her when she needed it.

As soon as they were back at her hut, she was feeding the tyke; giving him hope for the probability of them passing.  Everything rested on the tiny halfling and how well the others treated him.  If it was just up to Fluttershy, they would pass with flying colors.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  The others would be involved too and Celestia only knew how well they would take to the bat pony.  Still, at least most of them had little sisters or were good with children.  The only problem was the current language barrier.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Later That Night~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

The sound of hooves echoed off the tile, mauve eyes looking up at the wavering stars in the sky.  Soon, she wouldn’t even have the strength to hold them up anymore; let alone move the day or night.  Her bones hurt in ways she had never felt before and the sounds of her sister’s coughing wore at her strength.  She hated seeing her baby sister so ill, especially with all she had been through.  That was one of the reasons why she had come out here this night.  Soon there was the sound of membrane mixed with feathers before something landed behind her.  “It has been a long time Princess,” sighed a voice she hadn’t heard in ages.

“Too long and I wish we were meeting under better circumstances,” she whispered, closing her eyes while her wings drooped.

“I know and I am afraid I must deny your request.  We are currently testing your champions.  If they prove worthy, then we will help you,” came a response she didn’t want to hear.

Spinning, pinkish-purple eyes met two layered green ones.  A moment of silence was passing between the two figures before Celestia was snorting in disbelief.  “While I can respect your hesitance, my own sister is sick!  Can you not make even the smallest bit of the cure for her?” the incensed monarch protested.  The being before her merely raised a brow.

“You would only seek to save your own blood?  I am surprised.  Do you think either of you is above the suffering that is occurring to your own subjects?” the visitor questioned.

Opening her mouth to argue, the Princess of the Sun shut it again just as quickly.  Her actions had said exactly what her true feelings were and she felt ashamed of herself.  No pony’s life meant more than any other’s.  Even if it  _ was _ her sister.  Still, sitting by and watching while she knew the answers would be hard.  It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Twilight, this was just a lot to place on the shoulders of someone who had no idea where to look.  “What happens if they fail?” she whispered, dreading the answer.

The figure before her simply winced before taking off into the night.  Watching the darkened form until it disappeared, Celestia sighed.  She would just have to trust in her student.  Though young, the new alicorn had always found some way to pull through before.  There was a good chance she would find a way to do so now.  Hearing another series of coughs, she decided to head inside for the night.  Her sister needed her, after all.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Day~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

“Alright, we need to head back into Everfree.  We can’t afford to give up now,” echoed a commanding, female voice while several pairs of eyes watched the young Princess move back and forth.  Only Flitterfang seemed unconcerned.

A bit too young to really know what was going on, the young pony was sucking on a mango plush Rarity had given him that morning.  Intelligent, crimson eyes looked around the rooms while he sat in Pinkie Pie’s lap; wings folded in a resting position.  So far, everypony was utterly smitten with him.  Still, his age offered an unexpected complication.  “Twiligh’... we can’t jest leave the lil one here by his lonesome,” Applejack pointed out, bringing the meeting to a grinding halt.

As much as she hated to admit it, the amber colored farm pony was right.  They would have to leave one or two ponies behind to take care of Flitterfang.  The only problem was, which of them could they afford to leave behind.  While easily scared, Fluttershy could identify plants as well as speak to hostile animals.  The only ponies she could think of were Rarity and Pinkie Pie, something she doubted the colt’s appointed caretaker would be all too happy with.  In the small amount of time she had him, the yellow pegasus had become oddly attached to the halfling.

After some thinking, she finally settled on drawing straws to see which two ponies would stay behind.  While not entirely the best method to ensure the strength of her party, it was the most fair.  It was also what Fluttershy would agree to.  She at least wanted a chance to watch over the colt to make sure he wouldn’t hurt himself.  In the end, however, it ended up being Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.  While not ideal, it would do.  So, with a final check over of Flitterfang, the small group was off to Everfree to search.

Keeping to the same search pattern as before, Fluttershy and Starlight searched through the field the kind pegasus had wanted to search the first time.  Twilight, Applejack and Rarity were searching around near Zecora’s hut.  They were all supposed to meet up at noon but they were allowed to send a signal if they found something of interest.  Unfortunately, it didn’t look like they were going to find anything.

Already, it felt like they had been looking through flowers for hours and even  _ she _ was getting sick of it.  Yet she would continue.  She would continue even if she collapsed from tiredness.  With Flitterfang living in Ponyville, there was a good chance he would catch the plague.  If that happened, she wanted to have a way to cure him.  She didn’t even want to think of him suffering the same way those ponies in town were.  It was already bad enough that he had been separated from his parents at such a young age.

Meanwhile, the small trio off by themselves were getting just as frustrated.  While they hadn’t had high hopes in the first place, it was disheartening to come up empty.  The next step was to start looking outside of Ponyville.  The problem with that being the fact they would have to stay out of other towns unless they looked infected by the plague.  They just couldn’t risk bringing it into uninfected areas.  This meant their options for getting supplies would be very limited and they would have to plan accordingly.  Not only that, but they would also have Flitterfang.

Groaning as she closed her worried eyes, Twilight began to pray.  It had been a long time since she had done so but she was honestly desperate.  They would have an arduous journey ahead and they would need all the help they would get.  So she prayed they would find something and that they would be safe.  Most of all, she prayed Ponyville wouldn’t simply fall apart while they were gone.  Or that some enemy wouldn’t get it in their head to attack while the town was vulnerable.


	3. On the Right Hoof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Both a journey and a test begin. Also, I wub Flitterfang.

Several pairs of eyes watched with mixed horror and fascination while the mountain of things Rarity was planning on bringing continued to grow.  It was truly impressive and they all wondered if she was going to just pack up her boutique while she was at it.   None of them would be surprised at this rate.  “Uh... Rarity...,” Twilight began in a misguided attempt to calm the other pony’s packing frenzy.

“Yes Twilight?” chirped the happy seamstress, a few more reams of material floating to top off the mountain.

“Do you  _ really _ need all of that?” she whispered hesitantly, bracing for one of her friend’s famous explosions.  She wasn’t disappointed.

Azure eyes fluttering closed, the designer took in a deep breath before turning around slowly.  “Oh, my dear, sweet Twilight.  You simply just do not understand.  A lady must be prepared for anything,” cooed a dangerously sweet voice, making everyone who knew her freeze.  Even Starlight went still, holding her breath while preparing to shield herself with magic should the need arise.

“Well, of course but...  your pile is so much bigger than everyone else’s and we won’t be able to help you pull it if you should get tired.  Might I suggest whittling it down to only the things you need to survive?” the purple alicorn suggested, moving forward to help with the much needed revisions.

Given the likelihood they were carriers for the plague, they needed to attract as little attention as possible.  Not to mention the fact the prissy unicorn would get tired of pulling it before they had even left.  Thankfully, they at least didn’t have to worry about the fillies.  With them being too sick to travel, Big Mac and Cheerilee volunteered to watch the children.  Unfortunately, they couldn’t do the same with Flitterfang.  Not only was he hard to describe but Fluttershy refused to be parted from him.

Thankfully, at least Discord was travelling with them as a bit of extra protection.  They would need all the help they could get.  Especially with foraging as well as handling of hostile wildlife.  In fact, the draconequus was watching the packing effort with a rather impatient expression.  Tapping a cloven hoof, he rolled his mismatched eyes before he was teleporting to ‘offer his assistance’.  If you counted causing general mayhem as helping that was.  Needless to say, many loud protests from both Twilight and Rarity ensued.

Sighing while she watched the melee, a certain yellow pegasus was cuddling her wide-eyed ward.  Thankfully, he was too young to understand the rather adult words.  Every now and again a soft giggle would leave him, tiny fangs nibbling his mango plush.  It seemed not much would bother him, a godsend if they had to remain mostly hidden.  He was even starting to learn a bit of their language.  Well, at least rather broken versions of their names.  “Ara,” he chirped out, obviously meaning the now sobbing fashion consultant.  Sometimes, for someone so adult, Rarity could be very childish.

“Yes, Auntie Rarity is being very silly isn’t she?  And Uncle Discord is being needlessly mean,” sighed out of her while the wailing and yelling continued for what felt like an endless amount of time.

After what felt like hours, they were finally making their way through downtown Ponyville.  Rarity had been forced down to the same size saddle bag as everyone else, much to her extreme dismay.  Even now, black mascara trailed down her white furred cheeks while she plodded along sniffling.  While she was well aware they were crocodile tears, Flutters had moved to her side; murmuring comforting things while little ‘Fangy’ patted her mane.  “Honestly, all this fuss when time is of the essence.  Not to mention she knew we had to travel light,” Twilight grumbled to herself while the small party made their way to the southern border of Ponyville.

Sensing the dipping morale of her friends, Pinkie got a brilliant idea.  There was no problem so large that it couldn’t be helped by a song!  Besides, it might help lift spirits!  Clearing her throat, the pink baker began to bounce along before allowing the music in her heart out into the air.  “Oh I know thing may seem dire and we don’t know what to do.  But I know just one thing that will help put a smile back on you,” she began.  Thankfully, the others soon joined in; the conflict of earlier quickly forgotten.

Discord simply watched, floating along at the rear of the group with Fluttershy and Flitterfang.  Despite the light atmosphere, he felt a deep unease building within him.  There was another spot on the top of one of the nature pony’s wings and she wasn’t the only one.  Each of the small group seemed to have one somewhere, though well hidden.  The only exception was Twilight and he could only hope it stayed that way.  At least one of them would need to be healthy enough to just pass the silly test set out before them.  A test only  _ he _ was aware was occurring in the first place.

They didn’t make it down the road more than a few feet before the first crisis hit.  Well, at least it was a crisis for Rarity.  The entire group had finally been relaxed, humming while they walked.  Then it happened.  A shrill shriek broke the silence, effectively scared the living daylights out of the colorful mares.  “That sounded like Rarity!” Pinkie announced, worry coming over her normally cheerful features.

“The absolute worst thing has happened,” came a squeal from somewhere in the middle, only deepening that suspicion.

Slowly, six ponies turned to the unicorn debutante.  When they saw her holding out her right front hoof, a universal expression of irritation came over all of their faces.  “I tripped over a simply vicious rock back there and it scraped my hooficure,” came a very familiar sounding complaint.  Spike was the only one who seemed sympathetic to her plight, his crush still very much in charge.

“While I’m certain we all mourn for the polish used, we have to keep going if we hope to reach the first camping spot by nightfall,” Twilight pleaded, feeling more irritated when her high maintenance friend began to protest walking for so long.  It was time to have a serious talk about the reality of things.

Taking a deep breath, the Princess of Friendship began to move forward when she was cut off by Discord.  Instead of the normally joyful expression on his donkey-like face, he seemed almost angry.  Mismatched wings flaring, he made a quick motion before there was red magic surrounding Rarity’s mouth.  Much against her will, it was closing shut; forcing there to be silence.  Rather than argue or make any move to stop him, Twilight decided to see what he was going to do.  “I want you to listen to me,” growled out of the trickster, the danger in his voice giving them all pause.

“None of us are here on a picnic or a nature walk.  We are on two quests.  One is to find the cure to a devastating plague sweeping over Ponyville as well as Canterlot.  The other is to find the parents of a very young colt.  Not only that but we may not even be able to ask for help.  Is it too much to ask that you treat this with the seriousness it deserves?” bit out of the mishmash of animals before he was releasing her so she could say her piece.

Tears filling her azure eyes, the seamstress allowed her lower lip to quiver before walking past him with a small huff; nose in the air.  Given time to cool, she’d likely realize he was right and apologize but she had always been proud.  Sighing, Discord rubbed his furred temples as a wave of weariness washed over him.  Being so serious took it out of him, not to mention just how worried for Fluttershy he was.  “Sorry all of you had to see that,” murmured his soft mid-tone, his gaze avoiding theirs.  It was only a soft hoof on his left flank that brought his gaze up a bit.

Seeing Twilight, the embodiment of chaos felt more than a little surprised.  Normally, she was the most suspicious of him, even a bit mean at times.  To have her trying to comfort him felt more than a little strange.  Still, it wasn’t unwelcome and he smiled at the purple alicorn.  “Its okay.  Its not like you raised your voice or were even all that harsh with her.  You told her only what she needed to hear and, frankly, I was about to tell her off anyway,” came a shocking assurance that left his mouth hanging open slightly.

Ruffling her wings in embarrassment, the still new monarch lowered her gaze shamefully.  “This isn’t some pleasure cruise.  Even if no pony has died yet, that doesn’t mean this disease isn’t serious.  Not to mention Flitterfang back there.  While he hasn’t seemed all that upset about being separated from his family, I bet his mother is about out of her mind.  She really has nothing to complain about.  Especially after what I did for her earlier today,” she pointed out, ignoring the questioning glances of the others as she got moving again.  Like it or not, they were not going to stop for one dramatic unicorn.  If she couldn’t keep up, she could always go back to Ponyville.

Thankfully, it didn’t come to that; a sulky Rarity bringing up the rear with Fluttershy.  At least there was silence now, something that was appreciated with the long road ahead.  She had a specific spot in mind to camp, a spot she had no doubt the others would feel more than a bit intimidated by.  Still, it was the best she could do and they might be able to find some rare herbs.  With the time of year it was, many things were growing or beginning to blossom.  Whatever wasn’t in Ponyville might well be on their journey to find information about Flitterfang.

Trees loomed over the pastel equines, birds tweeting back and forth like they were gossiping.  The buzzing of various insects filled the air, dust motes floating in and out of sight while a gentle breeze gusted through the foliage.  The air was fresh and sweet, barely a cloud in the blue sky.  Despite themselves, the traveling ponies felt their dispositions begin to lift slightly.  Even Rarity was smiling, having long forgiven Discord for his earlier outburst.  Even the young bat pony seemed to feel better, fluttering short distances away from his surrogate mother to investigate a bug or to land on Rarity’s back.

Suddenly, the little one was eyeing the draconequus; fluttering bitty wings thoughtfully.  Then he was flying haltingly toward the much taller creature, landing squarely on his target’s head.  Not seeming the least bit put out, Discord simply smiled before spawning a loose seatbelt for the colt.  Wouldn’t do to allow the little one to slide off and get hurt.  It would disappear as soon as he got in his head that he wanted to leave.  This action wasn’t unnoticed by the others, small smiles on the faces of the various mares.  It had made Discord rise up just a bit higher in their opinion.

It wasn’t too much longer before Pinkie was leading another song to help pass the time, the others joining in with an odd amount of ease.  No matter how spontaneous the musical number, they all seemed to know the words and rhythm.  It never failed to amaze Discord, even with the amount of times he had witnessed it happen.  It was like all the ponies shared some sort of hive mind, it was more than a bit freaky and none of them even seemed aware of it.  He had to wonder if it applied to other things.  Like, if they learned to control it, would they eventually be able to communicate through mind alone.  It would be an interesting experiment.

When he found himself humming along, he put a stop to it.  Last thing he wanted was to get swept up into whatever was going on.  With his luck, he would likely end up as cheerful and helpful as they were.  Shuddering at the thought, he was unsurprised when even Flitterfang joined in from his position on Fluttershy’s back.  Traveling with this group would be interesting, to say the least.  He would have to get used to the singing and would likely have to help get their campfire started.  Still, at least this allowed him to make sure the yellow pegasus was well taken care of.

And so, they walked.  They walked until well after the sun had started to set.  They walked until they reached a large clearing in the middle of some rather intimidating looking trees.  It gave off a rather creepy vibe, not helped by the lack of any type of noise.  Even the crickets were silent, as if afraid their songs would draw unwanted attention.  Yet, all of them were far too tired to complain.  Flitterfang had long ago fallen asleep and he wasn’t going to be the only from the looks of most of them.

Looking over the group of her closest friends, Twilight shot a stream of magic into the air.  Like a glowing, mauve colored blanket, the energy closed over the camp in a small dome; blinking out of sight as soon as it touched the ground.  It would protect them from intruders as well as malicious magic.  Unfortunately, it could be popped by someone that was stronger than her.  Still, it was better than nothing at all.  Unfortunately, that left anyone that wandered outside the circle vulnerable.  Thankfully, Discord seemed more than willing to summon wood for their fire as well as light it for them.

Pinkie and Fluttershy got to work on making dinner while Rarity dug around in her saddlebag.  After a few moment, she was pulling out a couple rolls of cloth as well as her sew supplies.  Staring at the items in amazement, the others spun to Twilight with knowing expressions.  Scuffling her hooves, the young alicorn flattened her ears while smiling shamefully.  “I put a spell on her bag that allowed it to be bottomless,” came a confession that sent the exhausted group into laughter.  Unfortunately, the sudden noise had the unwanted effect of rousing Flitterfang from his sleep.

While, normally, his kind were nocturnal; he was still too young to have even found that instinct.  He would just be learning what normal was from his parents while attending a sort of pre-school.  Still, this didn’t deter him from being bright and bushy tailed after only a few hours worth of sleep.  Needless to say, Fluttershy was a bit upset at the fact his rest had been disturbed.  Watching as he flittered over to land on Rarity, the yellow equine laid her ears against her skull as she huffed a breath through her nostrils.  It was times like this that she wished she had more bravery.  If she did, she would be giving the entire group a piece of her mind.

Smiling at her young visitor, the fashion consultant began to hum to herself as her lavender magic surrounded him.  Giggling while he was positioned in all sorts of poses, the bat pony didn’t seem to mind the various measurements.  Nor did his seem to mind several colors of fabric being matched against his navy blue fur.  “We simply must find the perfect shade and style,” cooed out of her, her glasses floating onto her nose as she went through her entire gamut of colors.  The others could only watch, utterly speechless.

Discord came back just as she had chosen both powder pink and black colored bolts of cloth.  She had just started to put her reams of cloth back into her bag when he broke through the trees.  Raising bushy brows at the sight, his different sized eyes shifted over to Twilight.  Smirking when she blushed, he shook his head before setting down his burden in the designated fire pit.  In all honesty, he had expected the alicorn to do something like that.  Especially given her odd comment earlier.  Still, he felt too exhausted to do much teasing.

Starting a fire with a flick of his eagle claw fingers, the mixture of animals took a seat with a groan of relief.  This had been the longest he had gone without using his magic.  In fact, he couldn’t remember ever walking this much in his long life.  Leaning back to watch the dancing flames in front of him, he startled slightly when he felt something warm and furry leaning into his side.  Looking down, he was shocked to see Fluttershy.  Smiling softly and not caring for the watchful eyes of the others, the former villain placed his lion arm around her shoulders to keep her close.

Anyone with eyes could see what was going on with him and the small group across from the pair was no exception.  Just a few short months ago, they all would have been varying shades of aghast at the sight.  Now, they found it a further sign of the prankster’s rehabilitation.  It certainly help that they hadn’t seen either Fluttershy or Discord so comfortable with someone before.  In their own way, they were healing together.  For those that cared about the two, it was a truly heartwarming sight.

Rarity, oblivious to anything but the ideas flowing through her head, simply continued to write down the measurements she had taken.  Next, she was sketching out an elaborate gothic lolita dress.  It would has a corset top with a flowing skirt and no sleeves.  The main color would be the powder pink, black ruffles running along the length in regular intervals.  She had even draw a small hat and veil combo that would top off the ensemble.  It would look adorable and she somehow doubted Flitterfang would have very many complaints.

Threading her needle, she began to compose the patterns she would need to cut out and draw onto the fabric.  Even with magic, it would take a long time to finish but she was undeterred.  In fact, she felt more motivated than ever before.  Smiling at the colt who was batting around the plush she had made for him, she wondered if he was too young to appreciate what she was about to do for him.  Shrugging it off, she got to work on sketching out the pattern she had planned for the corset.  It would be smaller than she was used to working with but she had always enjoyed a good challenge.

Looking down at the rations she had packed for the trip, Pinkie honestly felt more than a little excited about making dinner.  She had the greatest idea for a meadow grass roast and this would be the first opportunity she’d had to try it out.  Tossing ingredients into a skillet, she worked with the same gusto as the white unicorn behind her.  Though exhausted, the others soon caught the enthusiasm that seemed to be going around; involving themselves in small projects to help themselves settle in for the night.  Before any of them knew it, dinner was ready.

Taking her portion, Rarity moved back to her station so she could work while she ate.  She was just getting to the sewing part and she didn’t want to stop.  It wasn’t too long before the others finally took notice of what she was doing.  Even Fluttershy, who had been almost dozing against Discord, had gotten up to investigate.  When they saw what it was, they could only murmur in confusion.  While beautiful, the dress was far too small to fit any of them.  The only pony it would fit was...  That was when the realization hit like a ton of bricks.

Quite unaware of the stares she was getting, the leading designer in Ponyville continued late into the night.  It had taken so long, the others had drifted to sleep against eachother.  As such, they were completely scared out of their wits when she suddenly screamed out in triumph.  Holding up Flitterfang and cackling like a demented scientist; she showed off the fact that she had, indeed, made him a lolita dress.  A fact that the young colt didn’t seem to mind at all.  In fact, he giggled and clapped his tiny hooves while the others stared up at him.  They all seemed to think he was utterly adorable while simultaneously not really knowing what to feel.


	4. Perilous Trail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Things happen this chapter. Lots of things.

Some time in the night, Fluttershy had removed the dress from Flitterfang. While she agreed it was adorable on him, she knew the little colt had no ability to remove the clothes by himself should he get too hot. Cuddling the sleeping colt under her wing, she looked up at her friends. So far, they still had no idea where to even start. They had hoped just being on the road would give them some ideas but, so far, nothing. Still, something about this forest tickled a faint memory in the back of her head. She could swear she had read something about this place. Or, at least, the creatures that dwelled inside it.  
Green eyes staring into the looming trees, she crinkled her brow as the feeling got more intense. That was when she saw the little bits of light floating through the leaves, making her jaw drop open. They were pixies! Creatures only found in forests that were guarded by animals that were considered mythical. Unfortunately, she was the only one that noticed. The others were too focused on their misery to even look up. That was when it hit her, the scent of extremely old magic.  
Getting to her feet, she stared into the darkness. Taking notice of her behavior, Discord came to her side; his eyes following hers. Pinkie was the next to notice, standing on her other side just as a faint light became visible in the distance. “Uh, guys?” came out an abnormally nervous tone for the joyful baker. Immediately, the others were on their feet; Applejack staying near Flitterfang while Twilight, Starlight, Spike, Rarity and Rainbow Dash went to back up the others.  
“Who’s there,” Twilight demanded, her own horn surrounded with her mauve colored magic in an effort to cut through the gloom.  
“Do not fear little ones. We mean you no harm,” soothed a gentle voice that held the wisdom of ages. Immediately, a feeling of comfort settled over the group; helping them relax despite the fact it was obviously caused by their visitor.  
“We are aware of your journey as well as what you must do. We simply wish to aid you,” continued the voice, the light steadily growing closer. Soon, the group was able to see a luminescently white figure heading toward them.  
It was tall, slender and impossibly graceful; more seeming to float than walk. Gradually, the being got close enough for the group to make out it was a unicorn. Yet, it was unlike any they had ever seen before. It was taller than even the Princesses, staring down at them with kind eyes that seemed to contain galaxies. A long, shimmering horn spiraled up from the creature’s forehead, the sharp tip glimmering in the firelight. Instead of smooth, its four hooves were cloven; a long, lion-like tail swishing behind it. It felt powerful as well as unimaginably old but it had no malice. In fact, it seemed utterly neutral. “Wh-what are you?” Twilight stammered out, the thing’s magic tingling against her furred skin.  
“Nothing and yet everything. We are what you used to be,” came an oddly cryptic answer that seemed to come from the very air around them. An illusion that was helped by the fact it hadn’t moved its mouth once.  
“We are the elders and we are what you will become again in time. However, there are more important things to discuss this night,” sighed from the rustling branches above them, almost seeming like the forest was talking for the creature.  
“Seek out the Sphinx. The one you call Fluttershy will know where they live. While dangerous, they are the only creatures who can hope to lead you to where you need to go,” continued the figment from the past, eyes focused on all of them at the same time.  
“Can’t you come with us?” came a protest from Rarity, drawing the gaze of the entire group.  
The being before them shook its grand head, no emotion apparent on its regal features. “While I can accompany you to the edge of the forest, I will not wander beyond the boundaries. The creatures here depend on me to protect them from those that would harm them as well as disease and the change of the seasons,” it responded before simply walking toward the sleeping form of Flitterfang.  
“But... the Princesses control the seasons as well as the movement of the sun and moon. Why would this forest need you?” Rainbow Dash protested, only earning a slight smile from their visitor.  
“It is a much different world here. You will find that out soon enough. For now, you must rest. You must travel fast if you wish to save those you care about,” responded their ageless guest, laying beside the colt and curling around him protectively.  
While wanting to ask more questions, exhaustion soon caught up with the group. Yawning, they dug out the tents that had been packed in Rarity’s bottomless saddlebag. Moving to gather the young bat pony, Fluttershy was stopped when the odd unicorn looked down at her. “He would do best out here. His kind are more used to the outdoors anyway,” it assured. Giving a reluctant nod, the yellow pegasus allowed Discord to lead her to her own tent for the night.  
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” the sighed out of the ancient being as soon as they were gone.  
“This wasn’t exactly my idea,” grumbled a reply, drawing a chuckle from the glowing equine.  
“I know... Do you think they will pass?” the guardian inquired, staring up at the stars.  
“Who can really say. Though, the chances look good so far,” came the response the creature was hoping for.  
“That is good. I could not bear for another... incident,” it whispered, crystal-like tears shimmering in its expressive eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wandering through the forest, the group had to admit how different it felt here. They were almost ashamed they hadn’t noticed it last night. This place felt undisturbed as well as full of an old magic. One that clung to their skin and made them feel slightly invigorated. It would be a shame to leave here but they had little choice. Besides, it wasn’t like this was their home. They would have to return to Ponyville sooner or later. “You never did tell us your name,” Pinkie Pie mentioned, curly tail twitching with excitement while she bounced happily, smiling up at the creature leading them through the forest.  
“I do not have one,” whispered its voice on the wind, sounding as neutral as ever. It was like the creature lacked any and all emotion. Yet, it had a warm, welcoming aura around it.  
“Our kind does not see a need for useless labels for we are all one and the same. We share a oneness that not many other species are capable of,” the creature whispered, seeming to even lack a gender.  
“I think I’ll call you Snowy!” the confectionist chirped, what was said earlier seeming to go completely over her head. Rather than becoming offended, the ancient one simply chuckled.  
“If you must,” came out of the eternal being, smiling ever so slightly.  
In all its centuries guarding this forest, it couldn’t remember having company so lively. Even the humans that had existed once upon a time here hadn’t held such vivacity. Something about these ponies screamed of the life and happiness they held within themselves. Not to mention how much they seemed to care for eachother. To see them leave would honestly be saddening. Still, the being hoped they would have a safe journey. Maybe, someday, they would come through the territory again. Anything was possible after all. The creature only wished it could at least warn them about what was to come.  
Coming to the edge of the forest, the elder unicorn looked down at the much smaller ponies. “Here is where I must leave you. If you follow the trail just ahead, it will lead you to the territory of the Sphinx. Be careful though, the road can be treacherous and full of pitfalls. Not to mention thieves,” the guardian advised, looking as concerned as they did.  
“Thieves?” Starlight whispered, going pale while her ears tilted backward.  
“There are many bands out on these roads, all scrabbling for a living in their own way. However, the most dangerous are the Nekomata. They are nearly silent and have been known to run off with all the provisions they can carry. Sometimes, on rare occasion, they have kidnapped children. What they do with them, I do not know,” the being whispered before lowering its head to touch each of them with its long horn.  
“The best I can do is give you what little blessing I can offer. It will not be much use for protection but at least you will be able to travel further with less food,” whispered its kind voice before it was turning to disappear back into the forest it watched over.  
As soon as the figure was out of sight, the small group glanced toward the road that would lead them onward. What their host had told them had them all on edge. All except little Flitterfang. The young colt seemed utterly pleased with life in general, smiling up at the sun shining through the thick leaves. His tiny wings fluttered while he giggled, crimson eyes fixing on the shadowed figures that were leaping through the branches above. Figures the ponies were completely unaware of. “If we stick close together, we should be fine. Besides, it doesn’t sound like any of these thieves have harmed anyone,” Twilight assured, not feeling all that confident.  
“Still, I think Fluttershy and the little one should travel near the middle of the group. I’ll keep an eye on the rear. We need to travel like we’re being hunted,” Discord ordered, quickly taking charge. While this was much different than his normal, carefree attitude, it was for good reason.  
The time for fun and games had passed since the first pony had fallen ill. The fate of Ponyville rested on their success. Not to mention how dangerous their journey was becoming. They all had to be a lot more careful as well as on their guard. They couldn’t afford to spend time worrying over petty things like clothes or if Rarity truly had enough space in her bottomless saddlebag. Ushering Fluttershy and Flitterfang to the middle, Discord headed the rear while Twilight lead the charge. Soon, the small group was moving forward; a disappointingly small number of them actually paying attention to what was happening around them.  
While the motherly pegasus could be excused for being distracted by her young ward, the others didn’t have the luxury. Rarity was still obsessed with her outfits and fabrics, currently trying to find the perfect hat to shield her from the small amount of sun peeking through the thick leaves of the trees. Rainbow Dash seemed to think that whatever was ahead was no match for her, fluttering in an almost lazy manner. Pinky Pie seemed to be under the impression she could make friends with the Nekomata if she just made them enough sweets and was babbling on about whether or not they would like cupcakes. Only Starlight, Applejack, Spike, Twilight and himself were taking things as seriously as they should.  
Still as they wandered down the path that was shielded by the ancient trees, it was hard to feel anything but relaxed. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, there was nothing happening that caused any feelings of paranoia. Shaking his head, Discord kept watch on the branches above; not wanting to be fooled by the deceptive calm. If so much as a leaf rustled in the wind, he went on the defensive; fully prepared to use his magic to defend those that were important to him. The fact that nothing was happening right now did little to help set him at ease. Instead, it made him much more tense.  
He was so distracted by falling leaves and flitting shadows that he failed to notice the figures watching them from amongst the branches. Nor did he see the many pairs of glittering, green eyes. Eyes that observed every small movement the group made. Eyes that were searching for any cracks in their defense, Twitching a split tipped tail, the one that was obviously the leader made a few hand signals. Then, with the quietness of ghosts, the small army began to hop through the branches; positioning themselves for a strategic strike. Once they were situated, the one in charge made it fairly clear what their main target was before they began to put the plan into action.  
As they began to reach the edge of the forest, more leaves fell from above them, followed by the sound of snapping branches. Jolting, the ponies paused to look above them while Discord edged closer to Fluttershy and Flitterfang. Just as Rainbow Dash was getting ready to fly up into the foliage to have a look, he was making a sharp motion with his eagle claw to stop her. “Stay where you are. This feels more like a distraction. A way to test the boundaries to see if we’re as dumb as we look,” the draconequus murmured, keeping his voice low so their assailants couldn’t hear.  
Rustling followed his declaration, shadowy forms darting overhead and causing an atmosphere of rising panic. “You mean to tell me there really are thieves out here?!” squeaked out of Rarity, a horrified look on her white furred face.  
“What, did you think the Elder was telling us that just for their own amusement?” Twiligh huffed, fearful, purple eyes staring at the branches above them.  
“Yeah, Snowy would never lie to use like that,” Pinkie chirped, still sounding far too cheerful given the situation.  
“All of you be quiet. I need to listen,” snarled Discord, his long ears lying against his skull while he glared up at the dapples of sunlight. Thankfully, his companions fell silent; allowing him to hear the extremely subtle movements of the things that were watching them.  
Suddenly, a dark form dropped from above; verdant eyes glittering at them from a small slit in the black bodysuit they wore. Pointed, cloth covered ears twitching, the cat-like creature darted at them on two legs; drawing Discord to run to the front to defend the group. In the chaos, another figure was sneaking up behind Fluttershy; picking up the tiny bat pony positioned on her back. Shushing the colt with a clawed hand, the ninja -esqu thief hopped back into the branches; leaving a similarly sized plush behind. Having kept one eye on the target, the one set to distract them hopped away before simply darting back up into the trees like a black blur. “Well, I guess we showed them,” Rarity crowed, making it seem like she had done most of the work to defend them. Unconvinced, Discord whirled to look at Fluttershy; the rest following suit. What they saw made their stomachs drop.  
Unaware of what happened, the yellow pegasus shifted her gaze to see what they were staring at. Grabbing the toy that had been left behind, she could only feel a mixture of disbelief as well as a disturbing numbness. This all had to be a bad dream. None of this could be happening. Surely, she would wake up with Flitterfang safe in her arms. Feeling her consciousness begin to break free, she allowed her eyes to roll back in her head as she went into a faint. She was only saved from a hard fall by Discord catching her in his mismatched arms. Hissing out some rather colorful language, the odd mixture of animals straightened; a rather frightening glare on his donkey-like face.  
Without another word, he began to walk into the depths of the woods; the other following close on his heels. Using his innate ability to sense aura’s, he followed an invisible, winding trail. For a wonder, no talking or singing came from the equines behind him; the seriousness of their situation seeming to have finally sunk in. Brushing a pink lock of her mane out of her face while he walked, Discord softened just slightly. “I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to get him back,” hissed a stern promise, his magic flaring in a dangerous, mauve colored aura around him.


	5. A Helping Hoof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: The ponies come across a rather unusual but very helpful stranger.

While Discord normally loved to cause chaos, he had no real idea how to contain it.  Unfortunately, he found himself in the odd position of doing just that.  Despite how confident he tried to seem, the small group of ponies was dangerously close to going into a full on panic.  The worst part was, it was all he could do to keep Fluttershy from falling apart; let alone the others.  Patting the yellow pegasus’ head gently with his lion paw, he continued to follow the energy thread.  With luck, it wouldn’t be much longer until they found the thieves’ camp.  What they would do once they got there, he had no worldly idea.  The multi-color ponies behind him would be no use for stealth and he wasn’t exactly the most subtle creature in the forest.

A rustle from a bush to their right drew him sharply out of his thoughts, the entire group going on guard.  Taking point, the draconequus glared at the offending foliage while gathering a magical attack between his mismatched palms.  “Whoever’s out there, show yourselves,” he demanded, ready to blast away anything that looked like a threat.  When a fairly regular looking pony poked their head out, they were all taken a bit off guard.  From what they could see, the stranger was a bright red with a white mouth, lower cheeks and neck.  Instead of a mane, a single puff of red fur adorned their head; blue eyes sparkling at them merrily.

“Hiya, I’m Siabus!” announced a male voice, the bush seeming to vibrate with his excitement.

Blinking, Twilight came forward to stand beside Discord; Starlight right behind her.  “Um, I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle.  I’ve never seen you in Ponyville before,” she murmured, craning her head to get a better look at the stallion but having no luck with all the leaves in the way.

“Ooooh!  A Princess and from Ponyville!  Never been there but I heard good things!  What are you all doing so far from home?” he chirped, the bush shaking even more violently than before and slightly spooking all of them.

“There was... a problem.  A lot of us got sick.  We’re going out to find a cure as well as return a lost batpony to his family,” came the explanation, the odd pony stepping out into plain view.

He was just a bit shorter than a normal mare, his red coloration covering most of his body.  The white on his neck continued to his belly and the tip of his rather strange, bushy tail.  Unlike a normal pony tail, it was covered in short fur like the rest of him; swishing back and forth like an excited puppy.  Another unusual thing about him were the black markings on his hooves.  They went up to his knees on front and back, fading to the red nicely.  Staring, the others seemed divided on the opinion of whether or not to be afraid of this stranger.  “Well.. that explains why the bush was shaking,” Discord murmured, stepping forward to examine the newcomer more closely.

He seemed like a mixture of a pony and a fox, possessing as much magic as a normal earth pony.  The only thing that worried the mixed up troublemaker was the stallion’s cutie mark.  It was something he had never seen before.  Something he even lacked a proper description for.  It was a huge square, resembling a window but it seemed you were unable to use it like one.  In front of it was tiny board with buttons on it.  Despite the intense perusal, Siabus didn’t lose the grin on his furry, two-toned face; tail wagging a mile a minute.  “Just, what are you?” came a question from Starlight, concern on her lavender colored face while her ears tipped back slightly.

“He’s a foxpony,” Fluttershy answered before he could, inadvertently drawing the attention of everypony.  Tucking her long, pink tail instinctually, the shy pegasus cowered; wishing she had just kept her mouth shut.

In a second, both Pinky and Discord were there; standing next to her to help her feel not so singled out.  “How did you know that?” the baker to her right whispered, helping her feel worlds better.

“I, er, I read a lot about pony species that are rare or even extinct.  I’ve been fascinated with them since I got accidentally turning into a batpony,” mumbled out of her, barely loud enough for those next to her to hear; let alone the others in her group.  Thankfully, Discord was willing to relay the information.

Seeming to be not content to just stand there, Siabus began to sniff the members of the group one by one; tail swishing all the while.  “I’d heard about the illness but... where’s the batpony?” he inquired, smiling up at Rarity when she stared down at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.  So far, he had shown no drive to harm any of them.  In fact, he just seemed to be happy to have some company.

“He was... stolen by those meanie cat things!” Pinkie confessed, earning a sharp nudge from Rainbow Dash,

“I think we’ve told this stranger more than enough.  After all, how do we know he isn’t working with  _ them _ ?” hissed the blue pegasus, glaring at the stranger through her red, orange and yellow bangs.  The red, white and black colored stallion simply grinned back, seeming much more like a playful kitten than a willing double agent.

“Oh, yeah... shakin’ in mah boots Dash....,” came a response from behind them, drawing their attention to Applejack.  The amber colored pony seemed anything but worried, in fact she was smiling at the odd individual while walking forward to join the rest of them.

“He could be part of their tribe and I doubt he’d be th’one they’d send out t’hurt us,” she continued, reaching out a hoof to ruffle the fur poof on the top of his head.

“Yeah, they think I’m pretty useless.  Besides, I’m only a friend of theirs,” came a declaration that took them all off guard.

Suddenly, the small stallion found himself surrounded; smiling up at the others unsurely while wondering if he had said anything wrong.  “They aren’t bad kitties...  They only steal to feed their families.  As for the children, they usually either try to help find their parents or take them into their own families.  I’m sure they had a good reason for taking the batpony,” he offered, hunching slightly while his tail wagged unsurely.

“C-can you help us get him back?”  Fluttershy whispered, green eyes shining with tears.

Whimpering, Siabus laid his ears back before walking toward her and giving her a hug.  “I can try to talk to them.  I’m sure they’ll see it was a big mistake,” he assured, squeaking when Discord reached down to grab the scruff of his neck with his eagle claw.  Glaring, the odd mixture of animals brought the whimpering foxpony up so they were nose to nose.

“If you’re trying to trick us, I can assure you that you will live to regret it,” hissed out of him, his black mane bristling with his anger.  Gulping audibly, the suspended stallion nodded vigorously.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Few Minutes Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Watching from the bushes while the cheerful foxpony bounded into the small village, Twilight had to wonder if all of this was the best of ideas.  All it would take was one word from him and the entire clan would be on them in seconds.  Still, she didn’t see how she had much choice.  None of them could just walk into the village and a sneak attack likely wouldn’t work.  Not with how experienced the Nekomata were in being unseen.  It would take the strange species no time at all to figure out what they were up to and plan accordingly.  Still, it made her more than a little apprehensive to just sit back and let some strange stallion hold the fate of their expedition in his hooves.  “It’ll be okay Twilight!  Sia doesn’t seem like a bad pony,” assured a soft, shy voice from her right.

“I hope you’re right ‘Shy...  Otherwise we’re going to have rush in and hope we can find Flitterfang in the chaos,” she whispered, her ears flattened while her wings shifted nervously.

“If that happens, I will back you up,” husked a deeper voice to her left, a soft paw settling on the corresponding shoulder.

Staring down at the red pony, Natalia rolled her green eyes before kneeling so their gazes met.  Like most Nekomata, her markings were patterned like a siamese.  Soft, creme colored fur peeks out of her skin tight body armor, a cloth mask drawn over her lower face to hide her features.  Coffee colored fingers poked out of fingerless gloves, dangerous claws reaching for the wiggling stallion’s head.  “You  _ do _ remember this was  _ her _ plan in the first place,” sighed her soft voice, making sure no one could hear her but her long time friend as she ruffled his fur.

“I... I know Tallie... but...  They’re really worried.  Especially the yellow one,” murmured his quiet response, a black hoof pawing at the manicured dirt road in an abashed manner.

Sighing, the young feline removed the cloth over her muzzle to reveal the gorgeous, coffee colored ‘mask’ marking on her eyes that went down to cover the top of her nose.  “You’re so soft-hearted.  I’ll go fetch the little one.  Bring the group to the heart of the village.  Mama will want to meet them before we give him back,” she sighed, removing her hood to reveal her large, triangular ears.  Then, with a brief glance to where the group was hiding, the young thief grinned to herself before moving down a winding path toward an ornate house that seemed to be the heart of this hamlet.

Giving a quick salute, Siabus turned to motion for the others to join him.  “Come on out!  They know you’re there anyway!  They just want to meet you, see if you really have the batpony’s best interests at heart,” he called, white tipped tail wagging a mile a minute.  Blinking, the group hiding in the foliage had a quick discussion before it was decided that Discord would go first.  Not only was he much more powerful than all of them put together but he was also a lot larger.  If these cat beings meant them harm, he would likely make them think twice about it.  So, with a last look to the ponies he was trying to protect, the God of Mischief walked out of the bushes and toward the waiting foxpony.

When he made it to his destination unaccosted, Twilight went next; her wings huddled close to her body while she braced for just about anything to happen.  The only thing that occured was a couple of the curious kits began to follow, playing with her tail and making her smile despite herself.  Turning to the kittens, she blew out her cheeks in a comical manner before a jet of bubbles shot from her glowing horn.  In a matter of seconds, she became a playground for the village’s little ones; almost all of them clambering onto her while asking for more.

Utterly charmed by this and unable to resist her urge to reign in some of the chaos, Fluttershy came forward to scoop a few into her wings.  This seemed to be enough to signal the others, Pinkie taking particular joy in playing with the little ones.  Sure enough, this drew the attention of the elders; causing quite a large but peaceful mob.  Hundreds of eyes watched the brightly colored strangers play with the kittens like they were their own.  It was only a sharp whistle that broke the spell like a soap bubble.  In unison, all eyes turned to the Nekomata that had been conversing with Siabus just moments before.  “Mama wishes to see these newcomers,” came an announcement that caused many a noise of disappointment.

Reminded for the time being of what her real purpose here was, Twilight apologized to the small children while gently placing them on the ground one by one.  Still, the large, green eyes all pointed at her filled her with a strong sense of guilt and she found herself making a rash promise.  “We’ll come say goodbye before we leave,” came out of her before she could stop it, eliciting cheers from the large group of kittens.  Cursing herself for her big mouth, the princess walked toward the one who had likely orchestrated the kidnapping of Flitterfang.

Once all of them were gathered, the mysterious, upright cat led them toward the elaborate house she had no doubt come from to fetch them.  While Siabus was trotting along like he didn’t have a care in the world, the others following behind him were extremely apprehensive.  Despite the encounter with the children, they were still ready for an attack; Rainbow Dash and Applejack keeping an eye on the path behind them.  Discord especially seemed on guard, ready to use his magic on any villager that made a wrong move.  So, when they reached the massive, ornately carved double doors that would lead to the one called ‘mama’ unaccosted, all of them were more than a little surprised.

As they swung open to admit them, the group hung back; as if unsure of what to do.  Siabus and the Nekomata that had led them here had no such reservations, walking more than halfway down the entry hall before noticing the others weren’t behind them.  The foxpony was the only one to stop and turn, giving them a look that asked what they were waiting for.  After a few moments, they entered together; marvelling at the tasteful but elaborate decorations.  The floor was a polished marble holding a gold inlay that almost seemed to be a map of the universe itself.  The walls were also a mural, appearing to tell the history of the Nekomata, the tops and bottoms of the wall edged in a deep crimson.  Every few feet, the winding picture was interrupted by a tall, red and gold colored pillar.  Likely signifying a change in time periods.

Purple eyes widening, Twilight walked toward the beginning of the mural; her inner scholar dancing with glee.  Unfortunately, she soon found herself being dragged away by her tail; a true sense of loss filling her.  Turning to pout at the pony that had abducted her, she found herself sharply reminded of their reason for being here when she saw Discord.  While amused, his expression was serious; a bushy brow raised incredulously before he was letting her go.  Like he was asking if she had forgotten just how terrible things were in Ponyville.  Feeling ashamed, she turned to head the rest of the way down the hall; keeping her gaze fixed on the floor until they reached the next door that would lead into the true interior of the building.

More polished tile stretched before them, leading to a raised podium that had likely once held a throne.  Now it held a simple rocking chair, a stooped, wrinkled cat sitting in it with a smile on her wizened muzzle.  Milky, blue-white eyes locked on them, the short figure looking nothing like they thought the leader of these thieves would.  They had expected some Amazonian feline, as intimidating as she was skilled.  This old lady was as disarming as it got.  Still, that was no reason not to show proper respect for the elder’s station.  So, when they got close enough, the entire group bowed before her.

A warm laugh washed over them, helping to ease any left over tension they had felt.  “No need for all of that.  I am well past my years for needing such formality.  Come a bit closer dears, my aura sensing ain’t what it used to be,” came a voice of many a grandma, filling them with a sense of comfort as they moved closer.

“Is that how you saw us before?  Our auras?” Twilight blurted before her sense of politeness could stop her.  Thankfully, the elderly leader wasn’t the least bit offended.

Chuckling, the bipedal feline nodded.  “Been blind since I was sixty.  Gave me an opportunity to hone a new skill,” she explained before hopping off her chair with the spryness of a being more than half her age.

“How old are you now?” Pinkie asked, having no sense of propriety as usual and earning more than a few shocked looks from her friends.

“Oh ‘bout two hundred,” came a response that had all their jaws dropping.  This earned more laughter from the elder, blind eyes sparkling while she made her way toward them; her twin tip tail seeming to be used to sense the room around her as it swayed back and forth in an arc.

“Look good for an old biddy, don’t I?  Aren’t your own Princesses several centuries older than me?” she asked, effectively giving them all something to think about.

For as long as they could remember, the Princesses had been there.  None of them had ever stopped to think how old they were or the fact that they were likely immortal.  That Twilight probably shared the same fate, being an alicorn herself.  This meant her friends would grow old long before she did, leaving her alone while the endless centuries passed.  “Now then, Natalia says you came here to retrieve a batpony we took from you,” came a declaration, snapping them out of their distressing thoughts and back to reality.

“Yes!  Is Flitterfang okay?  He wasn’t traumatized was he?” Fluttershy blurted out, unable to hold back out of worry for the colt.

“He’s perfectly fine.  You’ll have to forgive us however.  There have been many groups passing through here that have been trafficking children of exotic species.  We have to make sure you are not one of them,” came a fairly reasonable explanation while a younger Nekomata brought out the giggling foal.  Though, for a very brief moment, he seemed the slightest bit confused.

“Now, you said his name was Flitterfang.  If this is true and he trusts you, he should fly right over when you call his name,” came a fairly easy task.  Though, for a pony like Fluttershy, you mays as well have been asking her to get the moon.

Still, she had more courage than she gave herself credit for.  With a deep breath, she fluttered her wings before stepping forward and fixing her eyes on the colt she had been caring for.  “Flitterfang, would you like to come with us or let these fine cats find your family?” whispered out of her, the fact she had asked the child what he wanted to do taking them all a bit off guard.  Blinking, the young batpony looked from the Nekomata and back; seeming unsure of what to do.  Then, after a few moments, he was fluttering his way over to the yellow pegasus; landing on her back with a happy chirp.

Hugging the colt with her wings, she immediately began to coo and fuss over him; the old leader smiling kindly.  Yet, there was a sly glint in her blinds eyes.  Almost as if she knew more than she was willing to say.  “Seems he likes you quite a bit.  Please stay with us for the night as an apology.  Your journey will be a long one and you will have little opportunity for a roof over your heads,” came a gracious offer none of them could refuse in good conscience.  Soon, they were all gathered in a fancy dining hall; seated at a long table with a variety of vegetation before them.  The Nekomata themselves had fish, not seeming to mind the fact they had to provide a special meal for their visitors.

While they ate, Twilight couldn’t resist asking ‘mama’ all manner of questions about their history; drinking in the information eagerly.  Rarity was more interested in their fashion, giving many a villager a business card for her boutique.  Fluttershy was honestly just glad to have Flitterfang back in her arms, begging the question how she would react when it was finally time to hand him over to his parents.  So far, all the ponies were engaged in conversations that lasted long into the night.  By the time everything ended, it was nearly two in the morning.


	6. Into the Desert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Our journey continues with a new friend in tow!

Stretching while the rays of the early morning sun began to shine through stained glass windows, Twilight yawned while her wings spread.  Soon, they would be leaving to continue their journey.  A long journey that would lead them through a desert.  From there, it would be up to Fluttershy to lead them to the sphinx; depending entirely on knowledge she had gleaned from books.  Some part of her wondered if it wouldn’t be better to leave Flitterfang with the Nekomata.  They would know where his family was and could keep him safer than they could.  Unfortunately, that decision wasn’t in her hooves.

Fluttershy had grown very attached to the little colt, not to mention the fact they had just gotten him back.  Something told the alicorn that her friend wouldn’t be all that willing to leave him behind again.  Sighing, she made her way out of the room she had been given; heading back to the main hall to meet up with the others.  Maybe she would even have enough time to ask about the murals in the entry hall before everyone else woke up.  As she came into the huge room, she wasn’t all that surprised to see Siabus was already talking to ‘Mama’.

Hearing the sound of hooves on tile, the odd hybrid turned to grin at her; wagging his bushy tail slightly.  “Morning Princess.  Not surprised you’re the first one up.  Would you like some breakfast?  ‘Mama’s’ daughter gathered some fine apples for us today,” he chirped, prancing his way toward her like an excited puppy.

“Er, thanks Siabus.  Breakfast  _ does _ sound good,” she replied, walking with him to a small table that had a bowl of ripe apples in the middle.  Picking up one with her magic, she took a bite; a bit surprised at the flavor flooding her mouth.  It was even better than an apple from the Apple Family orchard and she had to restrain herself from asking to see the trees.  Besides, she had other things she was curious about and not a lot of time to ask questions.

“Its delicious Mama but... I have some things I would like to ask you,” she murmured, hoping the elder wouldn’t mind explaining their history to a stranger.

“Ah, the mural in the entry hall,” cooed the elderly leader, blind eyes seeming to smile at her guests.

“Many visitors have been curious about it.  As you can likely guess,the pictures depict our history.  You may go study them if you like.  At least until you are ready to leave,” came the offer the young monarch had been waiting for.  With a bow, she galloped off to the entry hall; excited to begin recording the tale of these fascinating creatures.

As soon as she was gone, Fluttershy was coming in with the young batpony on her back.  Yet, she seemed sad; almost thoughtful as she made her way to ‘Mama’.  Raising tearfilled green eyes to the leader, the yellow pegasus began to shuffle her right, front hoof nervously.  “W-with how dangerous the desert is... m-maybe it would be better if Fangy stayed here after all,” whispered her nearly silent voice, her words making the grin fall completely off the young colt’s face.  Before the village elder could answer, the youngling was floating off her back to look into her eyes.

“No!  Wan’ stay wiff ‘Shy,” he protested, tears in his wide, red eyes.

Squeaking as her heart cramped in her furry chest, the kind equine shook her head.  “You won’t have easy access to food or water and the Nekomata would at least know where to take you as well as how to keep you safe,” she reasoned, tears rolling down her yellow cheeks while she tried to keep a brave face for the child.  Unfortunately, it didn’t really work.  Letting out a wail of distress, the batpony clung to his caretaker’s neck while crying as hard as he could.

“No no no no!” he cried out over and over, his tiny head shaking frantically.

Finally, all the fuss had drawn the elderly leader off her chair and toward the distraught pair.  “If I may interrupt, I see no reason why you cannot keep him with you.  You will have more than enough supplies and the Sphinx aren’t terribly deep in the wastelands,” came her wizened voice, a smile on her gray, wrinkled muzzle.  Eyes widening with hope, Fluttershy gathered the still sobbing colt into a hug and began to try to comfort him.

“Y-you already packed extra food and water for the little one?” whispered out of her while Flitterfang hiccuped into her neck.

“Of course!  Helps batponies don’t need much water.  They get all the moisture they need from the fruit they ingest,” Siabus pointed out, a grin on his face while the pegasus looked at him with her mouth hanging open.

She hadn’t expected anything  _ that _ complex to come out of his mouth, making her feel a bit guilty for making such a judgement about him.  Thanking them both, she decided to sit at the table and wait for the others.  In moments, Applejack was trotting in; looking a bit surprised she wasn’t the first one awake for once.  Being a farm pony, she was accustomed to waking up early.  “Morning ‘Shy, you th’only one awake?” the orange colored equine asked, a jovial smile on her freckled face.  Before the other mare could answer, they heard a very excited, one-sided conversation coming down the hall.

“Guess that answers ma question,” the earth pony chuckled before giving a greeting to Pinky and Starlight.  From the looks of it, the pastry chef had been talking the poor mare’s ear off.

Seeming grateful for the interruption, the lavender unicorn made her way to the table; picking out an apple with her magic.  Of all the others, Fluttershy was the easiest for her to be around.  “I’ll be glad once this whole thing is over and we’re back in Ponyville,” she sighed, taking a bite of the fruit before taking a seat next to the pink maned pegasus.  All too soon, the others were coming in; Rarity being the last to drag herself into the room.  Seeming to sense everyone’s presence, Twilight came from the entry hall to join them; an abashed expression on her face.

One by one, they were given a saddle bag full of supplies; Rarity’s bag being particularly invaluable.  Even Discord had been given a rather sizeable backpack.  Then, with tearful goodbyes, they were leaving; the kits in the village trailing behind until they reached the exit of the small hamlet.  Giving the hidden town one, last look, the group was moving down the road with Fluttershy in the lead.  Feeling a bit vulnerable, the shy mare faltered until a certain draconequus was by her side.  Only then did she feel the confidence needed to take the first step down the path.

As they travelled, plants grew more sparse and the soil much more dry and dusty.  Pressing her wings against her sides, Fluttershy did her best to keep her anxiety at bay.  Especially when she saw the first glimpses of the vast, arid land they would have to travel through.  A land with precious little landmarks.  A land they would have to travel with only the very vague directions she had gotten from a fairly old book.  For all she knew, the Sphinx had moved on long ago.  Not for the first time, she wondered if she was really the right pony for the job.  Surely Twilight would have more knowledge than she did.  Looking back at the others, she considered going back to ask the alicorn if she was really sure about all of this.  Feeling a paw settle on her right shoulder, she looked up to see Discord smiling at her.  “Everything will be fine,” he assured, his words doing worlds to help her feel better.

Nodding, she continued onward; even when the path they had been following disappeared.  Massive sand dunes began to appear around them, bushes and trees replaced with an occasional cactus or tumbleweed.  Yet, despite the barren appearance of the land, there were signs of life everywhere.  Lizards skittered over weathered rocks in pursuit of beetles.  Mice scampered in the scant amount of grass, drawing the attention of a hawk.  There was even a tiny, fennec fox, wet nose twitching while massive ears turned toward them.

Slowly, cautiously, the vulpine came toward them; seeming to be fascinated with Siabus in particular.  Wagging his tail, the foxpony bent to sniff at the tiny canine; getting a boop in return.  Then it was running back the way it had come, leaving the group mystified.  “Does that happen a lot?” Rarity whispered as they began to move again.  Grinning, the red furred stallion nodded while his tail swished furiously.

“Foxes in particular.  They trust me.  Maybe its cause of what I am,” came a happy response, the sun beginning to rise overhead.

Soon, the heat of the desert was upon them and they saw no shelter ahead to give them relief.  Shielding Flitterfang with her wings, Fluttershy stopped to get her bearings; looking up at the position of the sun to make sure she was still heading the right way.  Behind her, the others were panting, their coats covered with sweat while their flanks shuddered.  None of them were used to travelling in such extreme heat and were already showing signs of heat exhaustion.  They needed a place to rest soon or all of them would get even sicker than they already were.

Looking down at the spots that had been growing in number steadily on her forelegs, the pegasus found herself wondering how much longer she had before she was useless.  Already, she had felt the telltale soreness in her muscles as well as an unpleasant, clogged feeling in her chest.  Shaking her head, she looked around until she saw something far off in the distance.  Something that shimmered from the heat but she was fairly certain wasn’t a mirage.  “This way,” she encouraged, leading the way to the vague shape.

As they got closer, the object became clearer.  Soon, they could see they were heading toward a massive, stone arch.  A marvel of nature and erosion that would offer them a much needed break from the unforgiving climate.  It was also one of the landmarks Fluttershy had been on the lookout for, making it all the more convenient to head toward it.  As soon as they got close enough, many of the ponies were collapsing in the shade; relishing the fact it no longer felt like they were being cooked alive.  “Phew, we should stay here until the sun goes down a bit,” Twilight suggested while Rarity dug in her bag for supplies.

“This is simply dreadful for the skin and I haven’t any sun hats with me,” the seamstress lamented, placing sewing supplies on a tarp she had set on the ground.

Rolling her pink eyes, Rainbow Dash floated over to Fluttershy; settling beside the soft spoken mare.  “Where are we headin’ next chief?” she asked, while doing her best to appear cool and uncaring on the outside.  On the inside, she was bouncing with anticipation.

“A rock balanced on a spindle.  We have to head in the direction its pointing.  From there, we will travel until night time.  That’s the only time we’ll be able to see the lights in the sky that hang over the village,” came a response straight out of a ‘Daring Do’ novel.

Wanting to do a loop-de-loop of excitement and barely able to restrain herself, Dash shrugged like the information was only mildly interesting.  “Yeah, that sounds kinda neat.  It’ll be better than sitting under this rock all day,” sighed her almost bored voice while she was practically squealing with happiness on the inside.  This was just like ‘Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny’!  Only she was doing it with her friends!  She wanted to fly into the sky and shout her overwhelming joy.

Only Twilight and Applejack noticed her eagerness, smiling to eachother while they pulled out their canteens and took a sip.  Beside them, Rarity was beginning to make all manner of sun hats; one for each of them.  There was even one for Spike and Flitterfang.  A fact Fluttershy in particular seemed to appreciate.  The only one who wasn’t relaxing was Discord, the God of Chaos taking up the position of keeping watch.  Beside him stood Siabus, a strangely serious expression on his furred face.  “It’ll be a hard journey to the next landmark,” he murmured, looking up at the mixture of creatures to his left.

“At least there will not be any further enemies.  I just hope Fluttershy can make it to the Sphinx.  She is getting sicker quicker than the others.  Soon, she won’t be able to move under her own power,” sighed a worried response, bushy brows furrowing.

Placing a black hoof on the other male’s flank, the foxpony gave a reassuring smile.  “It’ll be okay, I promise.  It won’t take much longer with the Sphinx leading the way,” he pointed out, knowing his words weren’t offering much comfort.

“I hope you’re right.  Otherwise, I might have to intervene on this little... game,” growled the draconequus, his mismatched appendages curling into tight fists.  Squeaking, Siabus knew better than to argue; even if they both knew better.  No matter how badly he wanted, Discord simply could not interfere.  If he did, all would be lost.

Thankfully, the time passed peacefully.  Some of them even managing to get in a nap while the sun continued to beat down around them.  Hours would pass before it was safe to continue, Rainbow Dash in particular getting a bit twitchy from the lack of action or movement.  In the end, Pinkie had distracted her with a rather spirited game of Old Mare.  Soon, everypony was joining in; playing while the sun very slowly moved lower.  Finally, it was time to move on; the entire group getting ready much slower than a certain blue pegasus would like.  “Come on!  The sun will set before we can even get going,” she complained, glaring at Rarity in particular.

The seamstress was taking her sweet time packing, making sure each pony had the sun hat she had made for them.  Snatching the article of clothing, Dash fought the urge to pack for the meticulous unicorn.  All it would accomplish was the items she had flung into the bag being removed so they could be placed inside properly.  The only other pony that seemed as anxious to get going as she was, was Siabus.  The odd stallion was jittering in place, looking excited to just be travelling with them.  With how long it had probably been since he had seen another pony, she couldn’t really blame him.  Still, she wondered just why he chose to live in the forest by himself.

While he was unusual, he seemed nice enough.  Then again, after what had happened when Fluttershy turned into a batpony, she couldn’t really be sure Ponyville would accept him.  The same went for Flitterfang.  Would anypony else have taken in a batpony after the incident with Fluttershy?  Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on the adventure ahead instead of such unpleasant thoughts.  After all, the two ponies were part of the group now and that was good enough for her!

Once everypony was finally on their hooves and ready to go, Fluttershy and Discord were leading the way back into the desert.  Walking along a weathered cliff behind the arc they had hidden under, the ponies made their way in an unknown direction until nothing but sand surrounded them once more.  Pausing for a moment, the pink haired pegasus looked around in confusion.  There was no sign of a rock balanced on a spire, prompting Rainbow Dash to fly into the air.  After a few moments, she came back down with good news.  What they were searching for was a few miles to the north and she was easily able to lead the way.  Relieved to have the role taken off her shoulders, the champion of Kindness was more than happy to return to the rear of the group.

Staring down at the slowpokes below her, the speedster honestly wished she could just fly ahead and be done with it.  Or, at the very least, force her friends to move faster.  Still, at least they were moving.  She was grateful for that.  It shouldn’t take too much longer to get to the balancing rock.  From there, it would only be a short journey to the village of the Sphinx.  A prospect that was more than exciting for her.  She had only heard of the creatures in legend.  To actually get to talk to one was beyond her greatest hopes.

Oblivious to Rainbow’s thoughts, the group below continued onward.  Having handed Flitterfang off to Applejack, Fluttershy was lagging behind.  After days of putting on a strong front, she was finally showing just how sick she was.  Coughing quietly, she walking even slower than normal; a certain God of Chaos being the only one to stick by her side.  “Do you need me to carry you,” came an offer that utterly flabbergasted her.  Looking up at her companion, she felt a flush color her cheeks while she shook her head.

“I appreciate it but... it’ll only remind the others of how sick they are and cause a panic.  We can’t afford that when we’re so close to actual help.  I just hope that we aren’t too late for Ponyville,” sighed her quiet response, causing the creature next to her to give her an apprehensive look.

“I’ll be fine.  I’m stronger than I look.  Besides, the Sphinx can’t be much further off,” she assured, hoping that she was right.  In all honesty, she didn’t know how much longer her strength would hold out.  It was taking every ounce of willpower just to move forward and she couldn’t keep it up forever.  Sooner or later, despite how much she didn’t want to, she would collapse.

Unaware of her plight, the others talked cheerfully amongst eachother; ignoring the spots appearing in greater numbers on their fur.  It would do them no good to dwell on the symptoms that were steadily getting worse.  Especially since there was nothing they could do but complete their journey.  “I wonder what the Sphinx will look like!” Pinkie chirped, tail twitching while she bounced.

“I could tell you if you wanted.  I’ve paid them a visit more than once,” Siabus responded before looking horrified at what he had said.  Everyone halted in an instant, turning to look at the very nervous foxpony.

“If you know where they are, why didn’t you say anything earlier!?  You could have saved us a lot of time by leading the way,” Twilight hissed, ears flattened while her wings puffed up from anger.

“I... I can’t,” he whimpered, hunching slightly while his tail tucked under him.

“Why not!” Dash protested, crossing her forelegs while leveling a glare at the red stallion.

“I just... I just can’t!  This is supposed to be  _ your _ journey,” he confessed reluctantly, shuddering slightly while avoiding their angry gazes.

“What do you mean?” Starlight murmured, moving closer to the cowering pony.

“I’ve already said too much.  Please... I can’t say anymore or...,” he whispered, interrupted when Discord placed himself between him and the others.

Blinking, the others looked up at their companion with confusion and a hint of betrayal.  “I know it seems cruel but we really can’t explain any further.  It will become clearer soon.  The best we can do is continue on our quest,” the draconequus declared, giving them all a rather apologetic glance.  Finally, after a few tense moments, the group got moving again; a strange silence filling the air.  Where there had once been comradery, there was now doubt.  Rubbing the back of his head with his eagle claw, Discord could only hope their journey ended soon.

Looking up at the rock, the group began to head where the thinnest end was pointing.  As the orange of the sun settled into purple dusk, lights began to become visible in the distance.  Barely able to contain their excitement, the herd managed to keep walking at a steady pace.  Despite wanting to run the rest of the way, they all knew it would waste precious reserves of energy.  Energy they would need for the rest of the trip.  Still, it became harder to contain that urge as they got closer to civilization.

Walls made of stone loomed ahead, covered in intricate carvings that resembled ancient hieroglyphics.  In the center was a huge, wooden door.  Approaching the entry, Twilight gave a knock; hopping back slightly when it swung open.  Before them was a sandy colored creature with a body of a lion.  It was the face that was unusual.  It was unlike anything any of them had seen.  The closest comparison any of them has was a hairless monkey and even that seemed wrong.  Smiling at them with a strange mouth, the winged creature bowed.  “Welcome, we have been expecting you for quite some time,” it purred.  It was at that moment Fluttershy collapsed, eyes rolling up in the back of her head as she became deaf to the calls of her name.


	7. Calm Amonst Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy what’s happening so far. Things will probably get a bit more tense.

To say chaos ensued would be an understatement.  It was all out pandemonium.  All the ponies called out her name in unison, crowding around her until Discord dispersed them by scooping her unconscious form into his mismatched arms.  Flitterfang, who was laying on her torso and sobbing her name, would not be consoled.  Watching the entire scene with a neutral expression on its strange, furless face, the Sphinx stepped to one side before gesturing with a paw.  “I believe you got here just in time,” it murmured, waiting for the others to go past the gates before entering the village as well.  Behind them, the massive wooden doors slid closed.

“Can you help her?” came a question it did not relish.

“Yes and no.  We have no cure here but we do know where you can get it,” it replied, leading them down a winding road through buildings that almost seemed to be made of hardened sand.

Curious faces that matched their host’s peered out of the windows at them, giving the group an eerie feeling.  Yet, something about them tickled in the back of Twilight’s head.  It felt like she had read of creatures that were furless and had walked on two legs.  An animal that had been around so long ago, many of the ponies considered them to be legend or didn’t even know about them.  The only problem was, she couldn’t remember just what they were called or what she had read about them.

It was only when the group stopped and she ran into Applejack’s rump that she came back to reality.  Blinking, she found herself in front of a rather large, rather dark cave.  Feeling confused, she followed the stone walls with her purple eyes as they entered; eventually looking up at the ceiling.  Above them were impressive stalactites, their stone surfaces glistening with water.  In the distance, a slow dripping can be heard as well as soft humming.  Just as all light seems to be fading out, a soft, flickering glowing comes from somewhere in the darkness.  “Khaldun!  Our visitors are here,” called the one leading them.

Something huge and shrouded in shadow shifted, the sound of feathers rustling bouncing off the stone.  “Ah, good.  I am sure one among them will wish to have a few choice words with me,” boomed a jovial voice that sounded like two rocks grating together.  Growling, and visibly bristling, Discord flicked his tail in irritation.  Staring at him, the others gave him a wide berth; seeming curious and a bit scared at the same time.

“Darling... do you  _ know _ the creature we’re here to see?” Rarity ventured while the massive being made its way toward them.

“Let’s just say... we’re acquainted,” growled out of the surly embodiment of chaos.

“We used to go to school together a long time ago.  Don’t think he’s ever really liked me,” boomed the voice from earlier the face of a massive eagle coming into view.  Yet, behind it was a lion body.

“Are you a griffon?” Pinkie asked, wonder in her wide eyes as she looked up at the massive creature.

“Indeed.  Though, I imagine I am a bit larger than you are accustomed to,” he rumbled, amber eyes glimmering while he took a seat.  His long tail wrapped around him while his wings pressed against his sides.

“Psh, I’ll say.  Gilda would get so jealous if she ever saw you.  What on Earth happened?” Rainbow Dash chimed in, flying up to admire him.

His bird half was an eagle, possessing a sharp beak and gorgeous plummage.  The only difference between him and the other griffons, besides his immense size, were his ears.  They were pointed like a cat’s but covered in feathers so it looked like he didn’t have any at all until he moved them.  Smiling, he reached up with a massive eagle claw to give the blue pegasus a surprisingly gentle pet.  “Evolution.  I am the last of the ones who came before.  A grand and fearsome species that used to rule the skies.  But we are not here to mourn over what cannot be changed,” he responded, bending so he could get a better look at the unconscious mare his old school mate was holding.

“Hmm, just as I thought.  The only cure for that disease is in a very far away land and protected by at least two races of ponies,” he murmured, feathered brow furrowing while his lion tail tapped the ground almost thoughtfully.

“We don’t have the time to travel that far,” Discord protested, looking down at the pony he carried.  On her chest slept a shaking Flitterfang, tears still streaming down his cheeks while he sucked on one of his hooves for comfort.

Chuckling, the massive griffon got to his feet and began to walk outside.  The others only followed, a bit dumbfounded by his response.  Didn’t he care that one of their friends was sick and probably dying?  Didn’t he realize that each moment wasted was a moment Fluttershy couldn’t afford?  “I know.  That is why I am willing to give you all a ride,” came an offer that none of them had expected as they exited the cave.  Then he was laying down, making one of his massive wings into a ramp to allow them onto his back.

One by one, they filed onto the massive beast.  Once they were all settled, he was getting to his feet carefully.  Clinging on for dear life, his passengers found themselves dearly wishing for any form of safety harness.  “I will try to be as gentle as I can but I cannot account for storms or turbulence.  Just try to hold on as best as you can,” he warned before he was launching into the air.  Several screams came from the ponies, their eyes slamming shut while their hooves dug into the short, tawny fur on his back.

As soon as they were in the air, however, things smoothed out and a few were cautiously opening their eyes.  Rainbow Dash, who had been more excited to ride on this mythical monster than she had let on, made her way over to one of the sides to look at how high they were.  When she saw the trees were just a green smear below, she felt more than just a bit impressed.  It was even higher than Cloudsdale.  They were also moving at incredible speeds.  With any luck, it would be no time at all before they reached their destination.

Eventually, the other ponies got curious as well, many of them expressing how beautiful the view was.  The only exception was Discord.  An abnormally somber expression was on his donkey-like face, his eagle claw moving gently through Fluttershy’s mane.  “You have to be okay.  You just have to be,” husked out of him while he rested his forehead against hers.  Watching the display quietly, Siabus laid his ears back while his tail twitched nervously.  Even with all that had happened, he couldn’t guarantee the group would get the cure they needed.

Laying down slowly, he turned his gaze to the others.  Currently, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were conversing excitedly while Twilight read a book.  Rarity, who was laying against the alicorn, was measuring swatches of cloth to make a blanket for the ailing pegasus.  Only Pinkie wasn’t occupied with something.  Instead, worried, pink eyes were on the mare in Discord’s arms.  Her normally jolly expression was strangely serious, making Siabus wonder if all the joy before had been a front for the others.  Knowing the pink baker, he wouldn’t put it past her.  Giving a last look to Discord and Fluttershy, he carefully made his way toward the pastry chef.

Sure enough, as soon as she noticed him getting close, she was placing a painful looking smile on her face.  “Its okay, you don’t have to act brave all the time,” he soothed before she could say anything.  Just like that, the facade was crumpling and her hair was deflating while her eyes filled with tears.  Pulling her into a loose hug, the small stallion allowed her to cry into his shoulder as long as she needed to.

“Just let it all out,” he murmured, patting her back with a black forehoof.

After several minutes, she finally pulled away with a sniffle; wiping her eyes with one hoof and her nose with the other.  Ignoring the distressingly damp patch of fur on his left shoulder, Siabus kept his right hoof on her back while meeting her eyes.  “Feel a bit better?” he ventured, his heart aching for the normally upbeat pony.

“I guess...  I just want ‘Shy all better and awake again and...,” she began, interrupted when he held up his free hoof for silence.

“Everything will be okay soon.  We can’t be too far away from where the cure is,” he encouraged, bushy tail swishing slightly and finally drawing a giggle from her muzzle.

Pulling him into a hug, Pinkie squeezed tightly before flouncing back to where her other friends were.  Smiling sadly, the foxpony rubbed his upper arm as apprehension began to fill him.  While being friendly, he had done his best not to get too attached to the ponies he was travelling with.  In his experience, not many could accept the fact he was an entirely new species.  One they had never seen before.  It made ponies scared and had nearly caused the extinction of his species as a whole.  The depressing part was he was no exception.  A fact that played a major part in why the cure was so hidden.

Curling into a small ball, he covered his muzzle with his tail as he closed his eyes.  Appearing to be napping, he was really running over everything that had happened in his head.  So far, they had overcome every obstacle they had come across.  As much as he had tried to remain detached, he couldn’t help but hope they made it.  The final challenge would likely be hard, especially for Twilight.  Just thinking about how the alicorn would react made him shudder.  If it came to it, he would have to turn against her; a fact he didn’t relish in the slightest.

A few hours later and they were descending, the group huddling together to catch the first glimpse of where they would be landing.  Below, they saw a massive forest that was unlike any they had laid eyes on.  All manner of fruit trees crowded the huge expanse of land.  Some were so rare, even Applejack didn’t know what they were.  Among the foliage were odd structures that twisted toward the sky, appearing to be made out of some sort of stone.  Around the structures, both batponies and changelings flew.

Just like Sia had feared, the five mares immediately went on the defensive.  The only exception being Starlight, who had never encountered changelings before.  Staring at her friends, the lavender unicorn looked at the happy ponies flying around and laughing.  While the black, slightly insect-esque ponies looked a little scary, they seemed harmless.  Before she could ask what was going on, they were descending; heading where the forest seemed to start.  “Prepare for a fight,” hissed an order from Twilight, only making the former villain more confused.

“They don’t really seem like they’re ready for a fight,” she remarked, unwilling to attack innocent ponies without provocation.

“Don’ be fooled sugarcube.  These here Changelings c’n be as wily as a rattler in a cornfield,” Applejack hissed, tail twitching while they got closer and closer to the ground.

As they landed, Khaldun laid down to allow his passengers to slide to the ground.  It was only then that they noticed something was flying toward them.  Something that was large as well as colored pink and black.  Something that had massive wings as well as a heck of a lot of power.  Bracing, the five got ready to fight while Starlight stayed with Spike, Discord and Sia.  With her past, she didn’t want to judge what was happening too quickly.  “If you have come to do battle, you can leave now,” boomed a commanding voice from above.

Green, slitted eyes glared down at them while half feathered, half membraned wings flared.  A long, pointed horn that glowed with green magic pointed toward them as the defender went into a dive, landing in front of the group to stop them going any further forward.  Watching the events, both Discord and Siabus seemed anxious.  Making sure he had a firm grip on the pegasus and batpony, the draconequus shifted from side to side while his tail twitched.  Biting his lower lip, the foxpony stopped himself from reminded just how helpless both he and Discord were in this situation.

Thankfully, Twilight didn’t go on the offensive.  Merely stood her ground as the odd alicorn landed in front of the group.  “We won’t cause any trouble as long as your Changelings behave themselves,” she retorted, the others crowding behind her to offer their silent support.  The pink and black alicorn hybrid narrowed her eyes.

“My swarm would never harm anyone unless provoked.  Now, just why are you in my domain?” she hissed, ears pointing backward while her right forehoof dug at the ground.  Like Celestia, Cadance and Luna, the stranger wore gold decorations on all four hooves; telling the group she was also royalty.

“A disease is overtaking Ponyville. Khaldun brought us here because you can help,” Twilight responded, her own wings flared while she glared at the mare that towered above here.

Narrowing her eyes, the monarch of this place, tossed her purple, green and white mane before relaxing her wings and furling them against her sides.  “So,  _ you _ are the ones I have been testing this entire time.  I wondered when you would get here.  As it is, I do believe I have some business with you first.  The batpony you found in the forest, bring him forward,” came a command that made the young princess bristle.  The only ponies she took orders from were either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna.  Still, she wasn’t really in any position to argue.

Turning to motion to Discord, she was a bit surprised to see he, Siabus and Starlight had already closed the distance.  Flitterfang, who was still laying on Fluttershy, looked up at the alicorn hybrid with wide, red eyes.  To everyponies’ shock, he lifted off the pegasus that had been caring for him, fluttering toward the stranger.  Smiling at the tiny colt, the huge alicorn hybrid lowered her horn so it touched his forehead and closed her eyes.  In a flash, he was replaced with another batpony they had never seen before.

On top of being a mare, she had a long, dark red mane and tail as well as a dark gray coat.  On both flanks was a cutiemark of a mango shaped like a heart.  “Can we never do that again?” she complained, stretching her bat-like wings before settling on the ground beside the strange alicorn.

“Flitterfang?” Rarity questioned, looking just as confused as the others.  The only exception was Siabus, who just seemed outright amused.

“Mangoheart actually.  Princess Mangoheart to be precise,” she corrected, looking slightly irritated as she glared up at the pink and black mare beside her.

Chuckling slightly, the stranger shook her head with a grin.  “I wouldn’t have had to change you if you had just let me send the real Flitterfang,” she pointed out calmly.

“I wasn’t about to send my own son into possible danger,” came a protest that offended most of the group across from them.

“We would have never...,” started a protest from Rarity, earning a skeptical glance from the strange pair.

“Says one of the ponies that wanted to drive out a flock of harmless fruit bats.  A pony that caused one of her friends to temporarily turn into one of my kind and then rejected her.  Seems like a  _ fantastic _ bunch to trust with a Crown Prince,” huffed the mare that had taken the form of Flitterfang, anger in her blood red eyes.

Unable to argue the point, the ponies quickly became more complacent while looking exceedingly ashamed of themselves.  “Still, you did take very good care of me while I was in that form.  Especially the one named Fluttershy,” grumbled a grudging compliment, drawing a chuckle from the taller mare beside her.  Then her green gaze was settling on Siabus, the foxpony giving her a rather shy wave.

“And you Sia?  How were  _ you _ treated,” she asked, bending to nuzzle him as he walked toward her.  The others could only watch with a fair amount of disbelief.  With the exception of Discord, of course.

“Like I was no different than any of them.  It was... nice,” he responded, leaning into the alicorn with a look of pleasure on his dual colored muzzle.

Nodding, she reached down with one of her wings to caress the odd fur poof that had taken the place of a mane on his head.  Seeming much more at ease, she met the gazes of the visitors with a warmth she hadn’t had before.  “You will have forgive me.  My domain is a retreat for many pony species that find themselves outcast.  I had to make sure you would not harm any of those under my protection,” she explained, smiling at the strange mares.

“What about all the ponies that could have died?  What about Fluttershy?  On top of that, you haven’t even told us your name yet,” Twilight snapped, having reached the end of her rope with all of the nonsense.

Seeming unaffected by the anger, the alicorn simply waited until the outburst was over before replying.  “My name is Princess Pi.  Perhaps my reasons will become more clear once I show you what happened.  Just how hated the races gathered here were,” she introduced, seeming to contemplate something the others could only guess at.  Before any of them could ask, she was casting a spell on the mares; Starlight included.  One by one, they fell into a deep sleep; one that would reveal the tragic past of how this place came to be and why she had to protect it.

“Bring them inside.  I will help the unconscious one while they dream,” the monarch offered, leading the way through and alleyway made of trees.

Behind her, Discord was slowly loading his friends onto the back of Khaldun.  Soon, they were following; the sounds of birds coming from all around them.  Despite being silent, the embodiment of chaos was fuming.  While some part of him understood why the monarch had been so cautious, he couldn’t forgive her for being willing to allow another race to perish.  “Why was it okay for Ponyville to die for the sake of your hidden oasis?” he snarled out, halting the procession in its tracks.

“Why would it be okay for my land to be destroyed for the sake of another?” she responded calmly, turning her head to give him a look that was full of sorrow.

“I had trusted once and it almost had disastrous results.  A history your friends are witnessing in their dreams at this very moment,” she whispered before simply turning and continuing to lead the way to where the city was hidden.

Breaking past the protective wall of trees, they were greeted with the sight of many different buildings huddled together harmoniously.  Through the tight streets ran colts of both batpony and changeling races but there was little sign of foxponies.  In fact, there only seemed to be a small handful among the numerous population.  There were also a few buildings that showed signs of magic attack, bearing massive, charred looking holes in parts.  These buildings appeared to be abandoned, left to disappear from the passage of time.  Something cataclysmic had happened here and Discord found himself more than a bit stunned at the proof that was in front of him.

Seeming to ignore the remnants around her, Princess Pi made her way to a massive, crimson colored castle that was in the center of the village.  Appearing to be made of a crystal like substance, it was ornately carved and wholly unique looking.  Twisted towers reached for the sky from the structure, giving it an almost cathedral look.  Spreading her massive wings, she flew up toward the entrance, the others following close behind.  Landing inside the huge hall, the monarch instructed Khaldun to lay the visitors in their rooms before making her way to the throne room; Siabus and Mangoheart close behind her.

Clutching Fluttershy, Discord frowned before following the griffon.  As much as he wanted to press for information about what had happened here, he knew it was best to wait for the ponies to wake up.  The Princess obviously didn’t want to talk about it. And had found showing them through dreams a lot easier.  If he was patient, he would learn about what had occured from Fluttershy or one of the others.  Laying his burden on a soft bed, he watched as a changeling came in with a strange piece of fruit.  “See if you can get her to eat this or at least ingest the juice.  She should be better in a few minutes,” she instructed with a kind smile before leaving the two alone.


	8. Tragic History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: There are some very good reasons why Princess Pi was so defensive before.

As a half changeling, Princess Pi knew very well what it felt like to be rejected by other ponies.  When her mother had died and she had been left the kingdom, she had found herself with little to no allies.  In fact, allies that had been friendly for years had pulled their support simply because she was a hybrid. Even some of her mother’s swarm had abandoned her, leaving her to build her kingdom up from scratch.  So, when a batpony princess showed up on her border half starved and with an entire flock in tow, she had welcomed them with open arms.

After they had regained their strength, their leader, Applebite, regaled her with a heart-wrenching tale of woe.  She and her flock had been forced to leave their ancestral lands due to a drought killing off their source of food.  For months, they had travelled from town to town searching for a place willing to take them in. Every single one had turned them away.  In some cases, they were even chased off. Her daughter, Mangoheart, had almost been killed many times.

Inspired by the sad story, she made a decision to open her kingdom to those that had been rejected by pony society.  Soon, many reviled species were making their homes in her kingdom; filling it with their buildings as well as their families.  It wasn’t long before word spread throughout the land about her safe haven. Unfortunately, this also meant her enemies would also be able to find her.  Thankfully, for many years, she had kept disaster from happening; simply watching as her kingdom expanded.

One day, she had been wandering her lands when she stumbled across a whole new species that had been hiding in the forest on the fringes of her territory.  They were skittish, shy and often ran away when she attempted to approach them. Worried for their safety, she began leaving food out for them; hoping to eventually gain their trust.  After all, the ponies seemed underweight and a bit smaller than normal. Of all the species she was protecting, they seemed to be the most vulnerable. Unfortunately, they seemed reluctant to even take the food she was leaving.

Knowing this couldn’t continue, she made her way out to the forest; determined to make friends with the strange equines that resembled foxes.  Making her way to where she had seen them the most, she carefully laid on the grass; folding long, black, hole filled legs under herself. Pressing her dual wings against her side, she prepared for a very long wait.  With how shy these ponies were, it would no doubt take a fairly long time to muster up the courage to even approach her. Closing her eyes, she settled in for a nap.

After what felt like a few hours, she awoke to the feeling of something very small and soft curled against her side.  Looking down, she saw a tiny, red colored colt bundled in a ball beside her. Yawning, the tiny pony stretched; blue eyes opening to meet hers.  Instead of fear, there was only curiosity; tiny red and white muzzle reaching up to touch hers. “Hi, I’m Siabus,” introduced his squeaky voice, a bright smile on his dual colored face.

“My name is Princess Pi,” she cooed, making sure to keep her voice quiet and gentle so she wouldn’t scare the little one off.

“Wow!  A  _ real _ princess?!  Mama told me one lived near-by but I thought she was just exaggerating,” he gushed, hopping to his feet to look her over; all while wagging his bushy, fox-like tail.

Grinning, she nodded before spreading one of her wings to show it off.  Squealing with glee, the young colt clapped his hooves before he turned to look at the forest with a rather abashed expression.  “Siabus! Where  _ are _ you?” called out a panicked, older, female voice, immediately answering the question of what had caused his sudden change in demeanor.

“Uh... over here mom,” he responded reluctantly, hunching slightly as a larger foxpony came out of the undergrowth.

The moment she saw who her son was with, a look of pure terror entered her wide, blue eyes.  Laying her ears back and tucking her tail under her, she crept toward where the pair was; acting like she expected the stranger to attack at any second.  Being careful to stay still, Princess Pi smiled at the obviously nervous mother. Taking her baby into her arms, the unusual mare began to cry out of simple relief; holding him as tight as possible without harming him.  “What have I told you about wandering off alone?! When you disappeared, I thought you had been eaten or worse,” the matriarch scolded tearfully, rubbing her cheek against his.

“Aw, moooom.  I was fine. Besides, I had Princess Pi to protect me,” he assured, gesturing to the alicorn hybrid behind him.

Sighing, the older mare looked up slowly to meet the gaze of the monarch.  “Thank you as well... For not... harming my boy,” whispered a halting expression of gratitude that broke Princess Pi’s heart.

“I would never harm any of you.  Neither would any of my subjects.  We all know what its like to be rejected,” she whispered, keeping her voice quiet and gentle; not daring to move a single muscle.

Muzzle wiggling, the mare crept forward cautiously; looking ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.  “A-are you sure? I don’t... I don’t want to lose another home,” she whispered in a small, shaky voice, looking back at the smiling colt behind her.  Giving the kindest smile she could muster, the half-breed monarch have a nod.

“No one in my kingdom will do anything to harm your people.  Any time you are ready, our borders will be open to you,” whispered a gentle offer before she was carefully getting to her feet.

Smiling down at the pair that stared up at her with awed expressions, she made her way back to the growing town that was her kingdom.  While she couldn’t be sure the new ponies would be brave enough to make their homes here, at least she had made the effort. Needless to say, she was shocked when she immediately heard someone following her.  Fighting the extreme urge to look back and see out of sheer fear it would frighten them, she continued onward. Thankfully, the batponies that dwelled there made it very clear the city was a safe place to be.

The moment they entered, the youngling swarmed the newcomers; asking a flurry of questions.  Finding it hard to be afraid of colts and fillies, the skittish foxponies began to smile and play.  Feeling a weight lift off her heart, Princess Pi signaled to one of her guards while continuing toward the castle.  “Set up the newcomers with materials to build homes should they wish. I’m sure plenty of the townsponies will be willing to help should they need it,” she suggested, smiling when the captain saluted before galloping off.  It wasn’t long after that disaster struck.

An illness began to spread over the whole of Equestria, leaving terror and panic in its wake.  One by one, ponies were breaking out in splotches while seeming to lose all will to live. In some cases, the victim would die simply from the lack of drive to continue on.  Concerned, but unsure of what to do, Princess Pi could only watch while the plague entered her borders. One by one, her citizens began to get ill; the worst cases simply collapsing in the street until a nurse mare removed them.  Then, one day, Siabus’ mother caught the disease.

The young colt had come running to her castle, tears standing in his wide, panicked, blue eyes.  Following him back to the humble hut he lived in, she saw the foxmare laying on the bed of hay; her red coat covered in bright, green spots.  Heart dipping into her stomach, she sent the youngster outside so she could speak to his ailing mother. Looking up at the monarch with glazed over, almost dead eyes, Whitetip smiled weakly.  “T-take care of my son,” husked a heartbreaking request before her eyes were slipping closed and she was going back to sleep.

Blinking back tears, the changeling hybrid turned to walk out of the hut with a heavy heart.  She was so distracted by her sorrow, she almost tripped over Princess Applebite. “Hey, watch out Princess,” called the voice of said monarch, finally breaking her out of her daze.  Looking down at the batpony, she gave the tiniest ghost of the smile.

“Sorry.  I’m just a bit... distracted,” excused her quiet, sorrow filled voice.

“Its okay, I was looking for you anyway,” responded her fellow ruler as the smaller mare fell into step beside her.

“Recently, my flock found a strange fruit tree.  One the animals carrying the disease seem to flock to.  Oddest thing is, the ones that eat the fruit seem to be cured within moments,” came information that had her stopping in her tracks.

“Send out a search party.  Gather as much of the fruit as you can carry,” barked out the first order she had ever given.  A bit taken aback but not surprised, Applebite bowed before flying off to do as she was told.

Soon, the fruit was being given to all the sick ponies.  Even just the juice appeared to have miraculous effects. It wasn’t long after that word spread about the miracle and the village it had come from.  Yet, Princess Pi saw no reason to turn anypony in need away. If she could help prevent the loss of precious life, she saw it as her duty to allow free access.  Unfortunately, as she was to find out, her kingdom was not without its enemies. Many clans that had hated in the past now held out right paranoia for her and those under her rule.  In fact, all of them blamed her for causing the plague just to get more subjects to move to her village.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In a Hidden Place~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

“This time she has gone too far!  Bringing about a pandemic just so she can give us the cure we so need!  Its the height of low tactics,” declared a booming voice from a line of ponies standing in front of a veritable mob.

The gathered herd mumbled their assent, staring raptly at the stallions they considered their leaders.  One of the few voices of reason left in the world. “All these ponies coming here for a cure don’t see her deception.  They don’t see the viper hiding amongst them,” snarled a different voice, ellicting the stomping of many hooves in unison.  A sound that was very reminiscent of clapping.

“Now, we have a plan to punish the false Princess for her cruelty and arrogance.  A plan to get rid of the freaks she has decided to give sanctuary,” declared a much older voice, a gray coated stallion stepping forward to glare at those gathered with piercing, ice blue eyes.  Eyes that were almost white. Blonde mane swept backward, he trotted down the line of their gathered fellows; almost like he was sizing them up.

“A plan that may result in your own death.  For those of you that aren’t okay with that, you’re free to leave now.  For the rest of you, know that your sacrifice will not go by unappreciated.  Know that you will be laying your life down for a truly right and just cause,” he declared, watching impassively while a few of their group quietly left.

As if on an unheard signal, guards that were standing near the rear followed silently after the deserters.  If captured, they would be dealt with accordingly. “Very well, tonight, we will discuss the plan. For now, we must make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible,” he continued before turning around and walking away from his gathered army.  The others that had accompanied him in the front, followed closely behind; furious expressions on their multicolored faces.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Day~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Watching while sick ponies filed into her village, Princess Pi couldn’t help but feel gratified that just as many were leaving cured.  Due to simple luck, she had been able to save ponykind from a terrible disease. A fact that made her feel both humble and elated at the same time.  Maybe now, the other ponies wouldn’t see her or the others as monsters anymore. Maybe, the outcasts living here could start to be accepted by equine society at large.  Feeling optimistic, she chuckled as she watched a group of young foxponies and newcomer fillies playing peacefully. “U-um excuse me,” whispered a shy voice from in front of her, drawing her attention from the heart-warming scene.

Seeing a young, spot covered mare in front of her, she felt the smile drop off her muzzle.  “C-could you lead me to where the fruit is? My father is ill and my mother won’t wake up,” whispered her weak voice, short legs shaking from the effort of standing.

“Of course little one.  Just stay with me,” she cooed, walking down the well used path, she didn’t see the filly make a quick motion to someone behind her.

Next thing she knew, there was a cacophony of yelling followed by the sound of magic blasts.  Spinning on her heel, she felt all the color drain out of her face when she saw a massive army swarm into her utterly unprepared village.  In slow motion, she watched as the strangers shoved young ones out of the way; almost running them over if they didn’t move fast enough. Too stunned to react, she stood frozen in place while a battalion of unicorns began to destroy everything in its path.

All manner of ponies screamed in terror, the packed streets quickly turning into utter pandemonium.  Finally snapping back to what was happening, Princess Pi took to the skies. Already, there were dead or wounded littering the streets; smoke thick in the air.  Gathering what strength she could, the alicorn began to fire her own attacks at the invaders that were decimating everything she held dear. Almost immediately, hundreds of pegasus began to dive bomb her; their furred bodies crashing into her sides in a concerted effort to knock her off course.

Spinning slightly because of the hard impacts, Princess Pi barely recovered in time to dodge the blasts from the unicorns below.  Sending retaliating fire downward, she felt her anxiety spike when she saw more figures joining the pegasus already in the sky. It was only when she saw it was a swarm of batponies that she felt some hope blossom inside her.  Dodging around the airborne aggressors, she made her way toward the flock; praying to all the Gods watching that it would be enough to save the land she had worked so hard to build up. Thankfully, the batponies weren’t the only ones who joined the fray.

Once the initial shock had worn off, other denizens of the peaceful village began to take up arms in an attempt to protect their homes.  Foxponies, hippogriffs and mothponies alike fought together against unicorns as well as earth ponies. Older foals instinctually helped the younger ones get to safety, doing their best to keep the youngsters safe.  Screams as well as the smell of burning magic filled the air, plumes of smoke from the burning buildings filling the sky.

Watching the chaos with a smirk on his grizzled face, was the gray stallion.  Blue eyes shined with a cruel, insane light, a bone-chilling laugh bubbling up from the center of his chest.  Since the day the abomination had taken over this land, he had dreamed of this. Wishing he could fly up to finish her himself, he decided to make his way to the castle.  With the alicorn distracted, it would be the perfect opportunity to seize the heart of the village. Once captured, there was no doubt the rest would follow.

Whistling to himself while ponies on both sides clashed, he stepped carefully over the rubble.  With little to no resistance, he made his way into the entry hall of the ornate palace. Glancing at the marble walls while he made his way to the throne, he could already see himself taking this place over.  In fact, this castle was as good as his. Chuckling to himself, he sat on the ornate throne; looking out on the empty hall. Already, he could picture it full of his loyal subjects.

Together, they would bring about a whole new era.  With concerted effort, they could erase all the impurities from Equestria within a matter of years.  All would be as it should be, the four, core pony species being the only ones left. Just the thought of it brought an intense sensation of peace as well as purpose.  Today would go down in history and he felt proud to be the one that was holding the quill. Unfortunately for him, his one pony celebration didn’t last long.

He hadn’t been sitting for a few seconds when one of the stain glass windows was exploding inward.  Shielding himself from the spray of multi-colored glass, he looked up just in time to see the rightful ruler fly in through the open frame.  Green eyes blazing with fury, she spread her wings as she shot a concentrated beam of her magic. Before he could even think to dodge, he was struck down; dead before his body had even met the tile.  Breathing hard while she landed beside him, the monarch glared down at his glazed over eyes. “Why? None of this was needed. We could have co-existed peacefully. Now, I have taken more than one life today.  My hooves are forever stained with blood because of your actions,” hissed out of her, her fangs poking over her lower lip due to her rage.

Turning her back on the reprehensible stallion, she went back out into the village to assess the damage.  By the time everything was said and done, she was about ready to crawl into a hole for an entire year. Almost the entire population of foxponies had been decimated, including Siabus’ mother.  They weren’t the only ones. Several of the other species had lost their fair share of numbers as well. Many foals were left without parents, some no more than newborns. Feeling sick to her stomach, she began the long process of rebuilding as well as taking care of those that had been injured.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Four Years Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Staring down at Siabus and Mangoheart, she couldn’t help but feel guilty that she had to be the one to raise them.  If only she hadn’t opened her borders so thoughtlessly. If only she had taken more precautions. If only she hadn’t given into the hope that, one day, her village of outcasts might be accepted.  Looking up at the burned out hulks of the buildings that were left behind as a reminder, Princess Pi made a silent vow. Anypony that wanted to cross her borders would not only have to find them first but would have to prove themselves to be friendly.

Setting her jaw, she silently promised the dead to never allow such a tragedy to occur again.  To protect those that were left and those that would come after from the prejudices of the outside.  She had been foolish to believe the world was ready to accept them. Something that would never happen again.  Even if another plague broke out, she would show no sympathy. She had lost too much to risk doing such a foolish thing ever again.


	9. A Cure and a Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: On with our story!

Feeling groggy as well as emotionally wrung out, Twilot slowly sat up; blearily staring at the multicolored blurs in front of her.  “Hey Twi’. Guess yer feelin’ ‘bout as low as the rest of us,” cooed an accented voice from her right as her vision cleared to make out Applejack.

“Yeah.  I... had no idea such a thing had happened.  None of it is in any history book I’ve ever seen but...  I could feel her emotions, her heartbreak. You can’t fake those feelings,” whispered the lavender alicorn as she slowly got to all four hooves.

“All of us could feel it.  Such terrible things. Do you think Princess Celestia wasn’t aware of it?” Pinkie whispered her hair slumped and straight due to the aftershocks of what she had been put through.  It had been like living through the horrors herself, like she had been the one ultimately forced to kill. 

“No.  I think it was hidden on purpose.  To keep such a thing from happening to this place again,” the Princess of Friendship explained, looking around for any sign of Fluttershy or Discord.

After a few seconds of silent worry, the pair finally entered from the right.  All the spots had been cleared from the yellow pegasus’ side and she looked happy as well as healthy.  Almost immediately, all the ponies gathered around her; enveloping her in a gentle group hug. “We were so worried about you ‘Shy!” they exclaimed in unison before reluctantly releasing her.  Watching all of this was Discord, a rather protective gleam in his mismatched eyes. While he couldn’t blame the mares for their enthusiasm, he wasn’t about to risk Fluttershy getting hurt so soon after being cured.

It was only the approach of metal horseshoes that quieted the happy reunion.  “I hope you all understand a bit better why we had to be so cautious. So many lives were lost due to my folly,” sighs a sad, kind voice while Princess Pi made her way to the center of the room.  In unison, all the ponies were bowing; Discord included.

“Of course.  None of us had any idea,” Twilight explained, carefully meeting the taller monarch’s eyes.

“Good.  After all, this village isn’t really supposed to exist,” the changeling hybrid sighed, a tiredness clinging to her tone.

“Still, enough about past woes.  I believe you came here to get a cure for almost the whole of Equestria.  A lot to ask of six ponies,” she continued, green eyes glimmering while a smile quirked her muzzle.

“Its a good thing I have learned to disguise other ponies for long amounts of time,” she finished, waiting for her words to sink in.  She wasn’t surprised.

The others in the room went from confused to hopefully to overjoyed.  “You mean... after all that happened, you’re still willing to help?” Starlight Glimmer whispered, clear disbelief coloring her voice.

“Yes, after what you have shown me.  How well you took care of both Flitterfang and Siabus helped give me hope.  Maybe, one day, we  _ can _ join the rest of Equestria.  Until then, all of you are welcome back any time,” informed the hosting Princess, delight shining on her face.

It had been a long time since she had felt this hope.  Had even dared to dream that the misfits living here might someday be able to integrate into normal society.  That they may even become considered normal over time. Still, it would be a long process and she was determined to ensure the safety of the ponies living here.  “And I’m sure Princess Celestia would be okay with visitors from here too,” Twilight offered.

“We’d also be willing to offer protection to any that feel they need it,” Rainbow Dash offered, flaring her wings defensively.

Chuckling, Princess Pi trotted toward the group; ruffling the blue pegasus’ rainbow colored hair.  “I appreciate that. Such an offer genuinely helps me feel better,” she giggled before a few disguised batponies came flying into the massive room.

“All the flocks have given out the fruit for the cure,” informed the one in the lead while they changed back into a batpony.

“Thank you.  I’m sure we’ll have more visitors soon.  Be sure to let them through peacefully,” she informed, smiling when she could already sense the two powers approaching at an alarming rate.

Given the success of the group she had sent, Celestia was likely on her way with her sister to negotiate an agreement between their kingdoms.  As much as she had longed for such recognition, she would have to insist on taking things slowly. There was also the fact she wanted to be involved in each step to ensure things went smoothly.  Taking a seat, she smiled down at her much smaller guests. “Your own Princesses are on their way. I’m sure you will be happy to see eachother,” she announced, watching excitement ripple through them.  Especially Twilight. The young alicorn’s relationship with her mentor was no secret and the budding princess fairly glowed with joy.

“I’m so glad Princess Luna is alright.  If anything had happened to her... I don’t even want to  _ think _ of such a horrible thing,” she whispered, purple eyes filling with joyful tears.

Making her way to the young mare, Princess Pi sat beside her fellow monarch; wrapping a dual wing around her.  When she looked up, the hybrid simply smiled wider. “You don’t have to worry about such things now. If things go well, none of you will have to worry about it ever again,” assured the older equine.  Before Twilight could respond, there was the sound of wings from the entrance. Turning her focus to that spot, the young ruler let out a gasp when she saw Celestia.

Breaking free and rushing forward, she nuzzled the Princess of the Sun and the Princess of the Moon in turn.  “You’ve done so well Twilight. All of you have. For decades, we’ve tried to make peace with this kingdom. Your efforts may have, at last, made it possible,” the tallest, white colored alicorn praised while her dark blue sister smiled mildly at the young pony she considered a trusted friend.  After all, not many others would be willing to stay up with her all hours of the night, simply reading.

“I’m just glad the cure works so quickly,” the youngest monarch whispered, humbly chuffing the marble floor with a hoof.

The others soon join her, bowing at the arriving Princesses while their hostess comes up behind them.  “We have a lot to talk about but we have all the time in the world to do so. For now, why not relax a while.  Get to know my subjects before we make any alliances,” the hybrid offered, her large wings pressed to her sides.  Nodding in agreement, the newcomers allowed their envoys to led them out of the palace. The moment they got outside, they were assaulted by all manner of young foals.  Questions filled the air along with the sound of laughter. Soon, the entire group was escorted into the heart of the village by the children. One by one, families came out of their homes to greet the strangers.  It isn’t long before more talking soon follows.

All of the villagers are painfully curious about the world outside their protected bubble.  To have such a rare opportunity to swap tales of adventures meant more than the world to them.  Thankfully, the guests were more than willing to share. Each story was more fantastic than the next, easilly holding their audience’s attention for most of the day.  It was with great reluctance that Princess Pi interrupted. While she could have allowed things to continue as they were, she had a feeling her guests were itching to go back to their own homes and they had much to discuss yet.  Still, nothing was stopping them from doing it around her beloved subjects.

A few moments later, Siabus and Mangoheart were sitting next to their Princess while the visiting monarchs began to discuss what an alliance would entail.  From what they could see, all the terms were fair. “I would like to add a few addendums to the agreement. A two way portal between our kingdoms. At first only one visitor at a time will be allowed through.  But maybe, with time, we can have more come through,” Pi suggested, getting enthusiastic nods from all gathered around.

“For the time being, I’ll send two ambassadors with you just to get the ponies in Ponyville used to the idea of other pony species,” she continued serenely, her horn glowing a bright green.

In a flash, a rip in space and time appeared right in the middle of town square.  Nodding to eachother, both Luna and Celestia pressed the tips of their horns together; shooting a mixture of their own magic right into the middle of the opening.  After some shimmering and shifting, the image of Ponyville appeared. “Siabus, Mangoheart, would you mind going with them? You may return any time you like but I want you to spend as much time around the other ponies as possible,” Pi asked while turning her head to look at the pair she was talking to.

The foxpony was already on his feet, wagging his tail.  The batpony, on the other hand, was frowning slightly. “You want me to leave my home, my people?”  she hissed, bat wings flaring while she puffed up visibly.

“Not permanently.  As I have said, you may come back and forth as many times as you wish.  I just want you to spend as much time in Ponyville as possible,” the half changeling responded, raising a delicate brow.

Baring her fangs, Mangoheart fluttered her wings while her son trotted up to her side.  Looking up at her with wide, crimson eyes, Flitterfang placed his front hooves on her shoulder.  “Momma, didn’t the yellow one take good care of you when she thought you were me?” squeaked his scratchy voice.  Looking down at the Prince of her people, the angry batpony deflated visibly.

“Yes, yes she did,” sighed out of her as she bent to nuzzle her son’s cheek.

Looking back up at her Princess, she narrowed her eyes before nodding.  “I’ll go,” she spat bitterly. This, of course, caused loud cheering that made her grimace while her ears flattened.  Her only solace was watching her son trot up to Fluttershy, only to have the yellow pegasus pick him up to coo at him.  Despite all her misgivings, she had a feeling that everything would be alright. That, maybe this time her people would finally be able to come out of hiding.  That her son would be able to attend school with ponies that were considered normal by others. Sighing, she simply shrugged before heading off to her home to start packing.  Siabus, on the other hoof, was more than ready. In fact, he seemed about ready to drag the others through the portal. With or without Mangoheart. It was only Princess Pi’s admonishing gaze that forced the enthusiastic stallion to remain calm.

By the time Mangoheart had returned with her son as well as their things, the foxpony was dancing around impatiently.  To no one’s surprise, Pinkie was bouncing right along with him. Already, the pâtissier was rambling about the party she would throw to welcome the newcomers; insisting on inviting the whole of ponyville.  Knowing it was useless to try to convince the pink pony otherwise, Twilight was smiling apologetically at the batpony Princess. Having expected this, the young monarch simply rolled her crimson eyes before walking through the portal; her son on her heels.

Waving farewell to Princess Pi, the others followed suit.  The moment they crossed back into Ponyville, they were greeted by the cheers of cured ponies.  Not seeming to so much as care that the batponies were different, the crowd swept the newcomers up along with their saviors.  It was not long before they were all involved in a massive party, Siabus being all too willing to introduce himself to everypony around him.  In fact, his entire body seemed to be vibrating with excitement. While the road ahead of them would be long and winding, it looked like there was solid ground for a decent beginning.

 

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Few Weeks Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

 

Batponies and mothponies fluttered through the skies with the pegasus, seaponies populated the rivers, hippogriffs and kelpies wandered around with the normal citizens.  While all of them were small in number, more and more were coming through the portal as time went on. So far, all the citizens of Ponyville had been very accepting of the foreign species.  Especially the young ones. The Cutiemark Crusaders in particular had taken the visiting foals under their wing. They made sure none of the odd youngsters got picked on or singled out.

Even the full grown visitors were fitting in well and making friends.  Rainbow Dash and a mothpony by the name of Lightseeker had starting a friendly competition, racing through the skies at all hours.  Fluttershy and a seapony named Rivercatch were involved in taking care of sick creatures that lived in the water. Rarity and a batpony called Honeycrisp were often busy consulting on dresses as well as accessories for the new clientele.  Everyone was getting involved, making Twilight feel a burst of pride for her city.

Watching all of this from her palace, Princess Pi felt a happiness that was bittersweet.  If things kept going like they were, there would soon be no need to use her kingdom as a safe haven.  While the ponies would always be allowed to live here, it would no longer be as closed off as it had been.  Sighing as she closed her green eyes, she dissipated the magic that was allowing her to view what was happening.  It was well beyond time to join her people in the square. Not to mention the fact she had to see to the building of new homes for the ponies from Ponyville who wanted to live here.

Flaring her dual wings briefly, she made her way out of the room.  Things had ended up much better than she could have ever dreamed. Maybe, over time, the more exotic of the ponies in her realm may be able to join in.  Like the vampire bat ponies, the werewolf ponies, the púca or even the naga. All ponies that had gotten an unfair rap over the years and had long ago gone into hiding.  While there were some bad ones in the bunch, they were often the exception and not the rule. Smiling brightly, she went down to join her subjects in the square. Some part of her felt a bit guilty for judging the rest of ponykind so harshly but, in the end, she felt like she had made the right choices.  After all, what more could a ruler do than make the best decision they could for their people?

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_FIN_ **


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